A few of my favourite things ...

I'm taking advantage of my last days of pregnancy and trying to keep active and busy as much as possible.

Part of my day revolves around keeping on crafting - possibly knowing that craft will be the last thing on my mind when I have a new baby to look after.

Neckwarmer pattern Love Crochet Dec Special Issue

I needed a new crochet project and found something I fell instantly in love with:

this neckwarmer looked amazing and the instructions looked fairly manageable for a novice like me. 

The first hurdle was trying to locate the wool that the pattern recommended. I found two websites: one in Malta and one in the UK, both currently out of stock of the colour in the picture.

It is important to add at this point that I am terribly impatient and was not prepared to wait until stock was replenished.

Thus I set off for my local wool shop!!

I managed to find this wool: Patons Fab Big in cream which I hoped would work.

The wool required a much smaller hook than the one in the pattern so I have had to adapt the pattern.

It isn't as large as it should be, and I had to start with a longer chain of scallops and then decrease the number of stitches by crocheting in alternate chain stitches.

It took me one evening to make it and even though its nothing like the picture I'm really pleased with it. 

Its super warm and soft and I love it.

I may have to now order some of the recommended wool, in a colour that is in stock so I can have one for another coat!!

Better still I had excess wool and managed to crochet a simple scarf that took me less than 2 hours!!

I've pretty much amazed myself that I only taught myself to crochet a year ago and I've learnt enough to pretty much make things up as I go along.

 Todays project was to make a hot water bottle cover for bottles I bought over 2 years ago and intended to make up as gifts. 

I'm putting these away in a 'present box' I keep in the loft for those times when I need a gift for someone and have no time to make anything.

This one is vintage inspired with some beautiful fabric I've had forever, lace and ribbon give it an extra twist.

One I made a few days ago with some Christmas fabric. 

I also created a little cross stitch hoopie art to go in the baby's nursery.

I wish you all a Happy, healthy and creative year ahead. 

2012 has been a funny old year for me. 

It started painfully but has ended on a high as I await my little one.

2013 promises to be a great year xxx

In waiting ....

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

I have officially gone into the realm of being 'overdue' my baby.

 The due date was yesterday and still no signs of the bubba yet.

I've been reassured lots by friends and family, especially for a first child its not uncommon.

So while I wait, I've been busy...

My next door neighbour was also due her baby on exactly the same date as me, but ended up having a little boy on the 21st December. A gorgeous little boy called Christopher.

I had already bought a very cheap but plain pack of 10 bibs for £3.00 which I sat and made hexagons to decorate them with. I'm super pleased with how they turned out.

Together with a little pair of handmade slippers and a taggy comforter from flannel and fleece, all wrapped up in blue tissue paper it made a lovely little package for a newborn.

I've also crocheted a hat, made numerous cross-stitch pictures to decorate the nursery with and a patchwork  hot-water bottle cover (to take to the hospital).

 More postings soon!!

At least I know that the baby will be here at least within the next 12 days!!
Already seems like I've been pregnant forever, but mustn't complain I've had a very healthy pregnancy, with few symptoms.  I've been very active throughout and after waiting for the best part of over 20 years for this opportunity a few more days won't hurt xxx

Hoorah for Gremlins ...

 Consensus told me that I should finish the Gremlin quilt straight away, before my baby comes along demanding all of my attention. 

Thus it was that armed with wadding, backing and some natty yellow binding I managed to complete the quilt  over a couple of mornings (afternoons reserved for biscuit munching, tea supping and peaceful naps).

 I'm a little embarassed by the awful quilting, I've become a little out of practice,so I'm not very confident and  went for something I knew I could cope with - my baby bump does prevent me from being able to get up close and personal with my machine.

I love the backing - an ikea print I've had for ages - which makes this quilt sort of reversible - what a great talking and pointing piece when baby is old enough to be distracted from tears and tantrums.

The binding is the yellow ovals from the Moda It's a Hoot range.

Despite bad quilting I LOVE IT, and think the baby will spend many happy hours rolling around on it and perhaps cuddling on the sofa with it one day xxx

Watch out ... Gremlins about!!!

 I'm calling this my Gremlin quilt for one reason only - as I was making this from the scraps in my many baskets of oddments (yes I did say many ... and I am ashamed) as fast as I was trying to use them up, they just seemed to multiply!!!

I started this project many moons ago, maybe 2 years ago, but such a lot happened between then and now that they have been sittng in a drawer, untouched.

I'm waiting for my 1st baby to arrive any day now and for some reason, today just seemed like the perfect day to dig out those Gremlins (believe me I had to engage brain cells I haven't used before to figure out where I put them) and finally get round to piecing them together.

I'm a little disappointed I didn't make more blocks!!

The dilemma now is whether I finish it off now before baby arrives (it measures only about 110 cm square) and have it as a little play mat?

or

do I play with more Gremlins and make it into something much more substantial?

I am rather loving it, there is an ecclectic mix of fabrics, some of which were from the very first quilts I made or from special quilts I've made as gifts or commissions.

My name is Caroline, and I'm addicted to ....

CROCHET!!

 I have tried to teach myself crochet before, but I just couldn't master it.

Then I bought a copy of a Woman's Weekly Stitch & Sew Special magazine and fell in love with a Granny Square Retro Blanket.

I wanted something for the back of my sofa in the living room which is predominantly in cream and soft blue/duck egg ... so I bought a selection of Rowan Aran wool in colours that didn't quite fit the idea in my head, but complimented each other perfectly.

I ended up not following the pattern completely but once I got started I just couldn't stop.

I started this blanket just over a year ago, after my husband left me.

It feels almost right, that now I am in a much happier place and about to have my first child that the blanket has finally been completed.

There are 100 squares in total 10 rows of 10 squares, making it a decent lap sized blanket. 

being made from Aran makes it wonderfully warm and quite heavy for the winter months ahead.

I do admit that although its been over a year since I started it I didn't do any over the Summer in preference of being in the garden, going for long evening walks etc but the last couple of months of cold. wind, rain and grey skies made me knuckle down at last.

Over tha last few weeks I've also managed to crochet another blanket for the baby and I'm just about to complete another one very soon.

Crochet is addictive!!!

I can't wait to get my hands on some more wool so I can try my hand at making some hats for the baby next.

Thank you for all the previous comments regarding my baby news xxx

It's good to be back blogging again xxx

Looking Forward ...

... to my little munchkin xx

I have wanted to blog for soooo long about this, but was unable to for various reasons.

I am ready and waiting now for my much awaited 1st child - in truth I've wanted a family of my own for over 20 years, but having worn a 'sensible' hat all my life believed that I must meet the right man and have a nice house etc before bringing a little one into the world.

It took me 34 years to meet Mr Right and then marry, dreaming that all this was right around the corner. I have since learned the hard way, that life rarely turns out like you hoped.

Mr Right turned into Mr Wrong and my dreams were shattered.

My marriage broke down and so I thought, all my dreams had disappeared.

At one point I thought my tears would never stop flowing with pain.

But I did slowly pick myself back up, with the help of great friends both at home and at work.

I slowly reconnected with friends and family I'd lost touch with.

I began to put my faith back in the Lord.

I prayed a lot ... and hoped ... and dreamed ...

 I did not anticipate that I would become so extremely blessed to be expecting this beautiful bundle of love, joy and hope xxx

Over the past months I have been stitching, knitting, crocheting and making all sorts of things for the nursery - things I couldn't really post about because even though I know exactly what gender I am expecting - from some people I have tried to keep it a secret.

Oh boy, will I have lots of photo's to show you once baby is here!!

I am sorry that my absence from Blogger has been long and neglectful, I felt I had to hide my joy from someone who still tries to hurt me and feels that he has the right to know my every business.

I have nothing to hide, I am the happiest, most priveledged, blessed and grateful person on the planet right now and very soon my arms will be filled with the most precious gift that I have ever created xxx

FABRIC DE-STASH HELP NEEDED xx

I have a large amount of fabric that I am DESPERATE to sell to ideally a UK small business.

I have two ranges by Blue Hill Fabric: Sara's Stash and Savannah.

They are both reproduction 1800's fabric: an example of one range is above examples of Savannah can be found if you google on internet.

I have metreage available on small bolts as well as pre-cut fat quarters all ready for display at trading events or to sell online/Ebay shop.

 I also have display baskets on sale.

As I haven't blogged for such a long time I have lost a lot of viewers for my blog - I would be so, so grateful if anyone reading this could perhaps put out the feelers for me, someone just starting out in business or someone specialising in Repro fabrics. 

They are for a great price, negotiable.

Thank you xxx

A Happy Winner ...

OOOhhh how happy was I when this wonderful bundle from Kate at M is for Make arrived in the post yesterday.  I thought they looked familiar when I saw these fabrics on her website - I actually purchased 1/2 m of this range at The festival of Quilts this year - they are organic cotton fabrics that were beyond my price range, why I could purchase so little. I added some solid to it and managed to make a little pram quilt for a baby. 

Thanks to this generous giveaway I now have more fabric to play with and can make something a little larger for a very special baby I'll tell you about next time.

Thank you to Lynne from Lily's Quilts Blog found here for hosting the giveaway and again to Kate for sponsoring a very generous giveaway.

Thank you

Anyone for an 'I Spy' Fabric Swap?

THIS DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH INTEREST - MAYBE I'LL TRY AGAIN SOME OTHER TIME!!!

MANY APOLOGIES FOR THOSE THAT DID SIGN UP ON FLICKR

I have wanted to make a couple of childrens 'I spy' quilts for a while, but have found it hard to find enough fabric to make a suitable one.

I could go out and purchase lots and lots of novelty fabric - finding the right fabric is not the issue ... making it economical is!!!

It would cost a fortune to find enough fabric, then wasteful for the rest of the fabric ... I have trawled the internet to find shops that sell novelty charm packs but never came across any that I thought would either give me enough fabric for a decent sized quilt or that I liked each and every fabric.

So...

I have decided to host my own 'I Spy' Fabric swap.

I will need 28 members. 

The swap will run like this;

1. Each member purchases 1m of fabric suitable for use in an 'I spy' quilt. I

 opened a flick account here which explains what type of fabric is suitable and will have some photos soon.

2. Members cut fabric into 50 x 5" squares.

3. The cut fabric is sent to me (along with a cheque to cover postage fees to send you a pack back)

4. I organise the fabric into 28 new packs, two of each fabric x 56 squares and send them back to you.

5. Members make, create and can post pictures to inspire ... above all having fun in the process!!!

 Just some ideas of what can be created;

 Interested then either leave a comment here or hop on over the flickr link here  and sign up there. 

Once I have members signing up I will have a better indication of time frames for choosing fabric, giving you enough time to cut and then sending it to me!!

Look forward to hearing from you!!!

An owl adaptation ...

So i'm in love with this pattern - and can't seem to stop making owl quilts!! 

One owl seemed quite lonely sitting on her branch, so I made her a little owl baby friend,

for someone very, very special.

Pink, red and aqua - definitely my favourite colour-way at the moment.

Hope you all have a great week xx

The Wanderer Returns ...

I can't remember the last time I blogged ... but it has been too long!!!

 Despite not blogging I still read all your amazing blogs and gaze in awe at all the fabulous creations  I see everywhere.

I'm not even sure if anyone will read my latest Blog post ... I'm sorry for such a long absence.

There has been good reason to prioritise my life after the loss of my marriage, quilting, creating and blogging came low down on the list for a while, but I actually did not stop creating - I can't - It's been a therapy really. I just didn't have the time to blog about them. 

Still my life is all good now, I have lots of reasons to smile and maybe this is the start of a way back into the blogging community and keeping myself motivated and inspired to create more.

 Recently I've enjoyed making some Baby Gifts for a work colleague who went on maternity  leave last week. Small projects are great for keeping me motivated on a day-to-day basis, I can pretty much knock out a couple of these on a work night!! 

Soft flannel, taggy cloths backed in fleece.

 Burp cloths, I love making these!!

An owl quilt made from pattern found here

 All set out in a pretty basket ...

 along with some patchwork bibs ... I loved making these and can't seem to stop!!

 A great way to use up scraps left over from a quilt!!

And there we have it ... my first blog post in far too long.

It's good to be back feeling positive, energised and with a lot more to show over the coming months.

Lots and lots of reasons to smile :-) xx

Crafty little Minx

There is no doubting that my crafting mojo has returned.

Phew!!!

Along with finishing off my tax returns for the year I've also managed to complete a few smaller projects which have really helped me get back into the swing of things.

My friend Helen recently gave birth to a gorgeous little baby boy called Logan James Keeves. I knit him a little Henri dog. This was a project by Fuzzy Knits and was lovely to put together. It was knit in an organic wool and ended up being smaller than intended but a perfect size for a little baby to cuddle up to.

I also designed a little stitchery project with some quilting mice. I had no idea what purpose to put the stitchery to until I thought about a sewing roll. Once the stitchery was done the sewing of the roll took no time. There are pockets, zipped compartments, a pin cushion, ribbons for holding cotton reels and a needle book - I'll try to take a photo in daylight!!
I also made a cute pin cushion using a cross-stitch pattern from Cross Stitcher Magazine. The button motif was stitched on linen (which I swear almost broke me) and some pretty pink ditsy floral fabric. It was filled with rice to give it some weight.

So i'm pretty pleased with my Week 3 makes.

I've also managed to rearrange my sewing room and some of my vast array of bits and bobs.

Hope you all have fulfilling weeks with work and craft.

Caroline xx

Your prayers are needed ....

For Tripp

and his amazing family.

I have been watching this little boy's story for the past year.

I am always moved to tears by his mum's words.

Tripp's short life is sadly nearing it's end and his family need to know that they are not alone on this journey.

Please pray for them and tell them you are thinking of them ...

visit here

**** Note after post ****

If you managed to pop over to Courney's blog Thank you.

All the prayers were answered and her little boy passed peacefully and pain-free whilst in her arms early Saturday morning.

God Bless Tripp and his family. Cxxxx

Avert your eyes now .....

... if you thought Christmas was over!!!

Well not in my household.

Actually this is not a late Christmas present but a Christening gift for a little girl whoe daddy works/worked on the Arctic Survey.

The request was for blue fabrics, polar bears and penguins and fleece backing.

I scoured the internet for appropriate fabric but didn't really like a lot of fabric until I happened upon Riley Blake's 'A colourful Christmas'.

I love the snowball block - so simple yet effective - with fussy-cut characters!!
Of course I couldn't resist a little applique too!!

I love it and can't wait to put it in the post.

I'm qualifying this as my project of the week.

I surprised myself over Christmas by making quite a few handmade gifts and some cross-stitch items for myself - whilst working in a full time job, running a home and a small business.

I thought that if I really pushed myself this year to make at least one item each week (however small) I may build up a little collection for selling at Craft Fairs later in the year.

I know there are 52 weeks in a year and I would need far more than that to make it worthwhile - but it's a start and gives me something positive to aim for this year.

So week 1 is achieved and that makes me smile!!!

Chasing my tail ...

Now that my regular hours are resuming at work and life is settling into an easier routine I have finally began to tackle some of the many neglected projects on the list.

One of my aims over the past couple of weeks has been to catch up with my Sew Bee Blissful group with the result being October, November and january blocks being completed.

The one above is for Christine. I adore these fabrics and the block is so modern, I love it and promise to make myself a quilt with these blocks one day.

One of my favourite blocks - the wonky star and a crazy patch block for Ella from the link here

and October and the one that nearly defeated me - I 'got' the block but not the measurements and hope that it can fit into the quilt somehow. Sorry CeLynn! Blog found here

I have a three day weekend ahead of me now and my plan is to sew up a storm and have some more photos to show you soon. I hope I'm on a roll now as my life has just not been the same without my daily sewing fix.

Cxxx