Mmmmm coffee

Hi

Hope you're all good.

I whipped this cafetiere cosy up, to brighten the dullness. Why don't they make them in funky colours?
It cheers me up in the morning's now.
I didn't use a pattern,  just made it up as I went along!!!

Don't you just love the starting of autumn.  There is crispness in the air, the earthy tones in the tree's and you can walk around without sweating (I'm not a sun person), yet the sun is so bright.

My little boy is starting to notice the changes in the seasons. We stumbled across some conkers,  whilst out walking. They are so tactile and smooth.

Enjoy the fresh air, crisp air.

Kel x

Stool cover

Hello

Just a quick post to show you the circular stool cover I made for my grandma's stool I inherited.

I used a pattern from Susan Pinner's book 'Granny Squares' .

I love it!! I might make a wadding pad to go under it.

Have a good weekend

Kel x

Summer colds and new inspirations

Hi all,

I was sufferring from a summer cold at the beginning of this week and feeling sorry for myself.
I did a little sneaky and I closed the studio on Wednesday to visit my local Knit and Knatter group. I was invited to it by the lovely Sue Pinner.

I was made to feel very welcome and I even offered to crochet a granny square for a project that Sue was working on. I sat there for a moment and I was thinking 'Right, Granny square, where do I begin?' I had a total mind blank! Granny squares are the first thing I crocheted.
Anyway, I managed it, I don't think anyone noticed!!

I was made to feel very welcome in the group and it is the kind of group I have been looking forward to joining for ages. I have even tried to set up a little group in my studio, but I couldn't seem to find any other crocheters.

I also managed to get hold of a copy of Sue's beautiful book, Granny Squares. Where have I been? Why have I not seen this before. I love it.

I have already been eyeing up a project for a very old stool. I inherited from my Gran in Yorkshire.

It still needs sanding down and treating. Watch this space. 

I so hope I can make the next knit and knatter. 

After almost recovering from my cold, I woke up one morning and found my head full of business ideas. I just need to get my head down and put them into practice!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Kel x 

Quick catch up & crocheters block

Hello

Hope you are all feeling better than me . . . A summer cold, yuck.

I haven't been doing much in the way of crochet,  apart from my tea cosy's (see my Google+).
I have been doing some quick sewing in between my busy periods in the studio. Only totes, but they seem to be selling. I sell one, make one!!

I managed to get a couple days away in not so sunny London! !
The kids wanted to go, so off we pootled to that there London! !  

I am in need of some crochet in aspiration.  I have crocheters block!!!

Well, short n sweet update.  But it's been Pottery, pottery,  pottery here.

Two for tea & tea for two

Hi all,

I whipped up this tea cosy up over the weekend and I'm in luurrrvvve!

The funny thing is I don't even drink tea . . . But I may just start!!

I think this will be on display in my studio to inspire my customers when they come to paint their Pottery.

This just may be my latest obsession.

Enjoy your week.

Kel x

Shrewsbury in Bloom - Growing for Gold

Hi all,

Before I start on the crafty side of my life, I wanted to share with some beautiful images of Shrewsbury at this time of the year.

In Shrewsbury, Shropshire, we have a large public park and recreational area in the town centre, called The Quarry, it is home to a play park, the river severn and a large grassed area. We hold concerts, fetes and festivals throughout the year. It is such a fantastic use of space.

In the heart of The Quarry we have a beautiful garden area, The Dingle, that is always planted with seasonal plants. It is such a beautiful sight. We took a little trip in there today.

I have been in the studio every day for the last 7 days. There was a wedding fayre today within The Parade and wanted to make the effort and support the other businesses that were taking part today. Its been hard on the family this week and I am having feelings of self doubt. 

The kids love the dingle. They can have a little explore along the the paths of beautiful flowers. 

This year they have planted some plants with height in the beds. It is so clever how they plant and group the flowers in height and how the colours compliment each other. It is like looking at a super imposed photograph. The colours are soooooo rich and vibrant.

The gardeners only use annual bedding plants. Each one plant is grown from seed at the beginning of the season and hand transplanted into all these amazing beds. 

I could only name just a small handful of these flowers, so I am not going to embarrass myself and attempt it!!!

These pictures don't do the dingle any justice. There are row of benches around the edges of the gardens. They are always full of people just sitting there, taking in the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of the gardens. You can see the smiles on their faces as they sit, drink coffee from their flask and relax the day away!! Lucky things!!

Last year The Dingle was the RHS Britain in Bloom catergory winner 2013 and then went on to win the RHS Britain in Bloom Gold medal 2013.

This year Shrewsbury is 'Growing for Gold' and is striving to win the Champions of Champions. The town is also full of beautiful hanging baskets and large planters full of amazing flowers and plants that are just a delight to see. They are pulling out all the stops this year!

I feel sad that I haven't been able to enjoy the floral displays this year due to having the studio. My life feels like it is on one big loop sometimes . . . a bit like ground hog day!

To celebrate the beautiful Quarry, Shrewsbury holds an annual flower show. I have been here 8 years and not yet been. Shameful again. But, because I am now a local business owner, I wanted to take part and celebrate the fab gardens in the dingle. So, I am taking part in the annual best dressed shop window!! It must have a flower show theme. I only have a glass front to my studio, you can't really call it a display area, so I am using my display cabinet.

This will be my back drop in my cabinet. The scene is of the Quarry with the marquee's. The marquee's are home to various floral displays and local grown produce. 

Goodbye balloon . . . 

I have added a couple of quirky pieces. I wanted it to have a handmade feel, so a lot of it is hand painted and drawn.

Here it is in my cabinet. To tie it into my business, I have hung a tea pot that is pouring out rain drops, depicting the Great British weather . . .pouring down!! The tea cups will hold flowers, so it will also look like the rain is watering the flowers. Maybe I will crochet the flowers for the teacups. The tea pot is kept white to resemble a cloud and I will also add other hand painted cloud teapots onto the background. I'm not sure whether to paint the tea cups, maybe with flowers? There will also be flower beds along the bottom.

It all needs finishing off, neatening and tweaking. I'm sure I will titivate it more and more over the next few weeks until judging day.   

Last time I said I would post my latest embroidery, well here it is.

Not a great pic, but I was following a stitch a long with sew mama sew. I am yet to complete it. It keeps calling me every night. I will finish it!!

I also did this little piece, with inspiration from Cath Kidston. On close inspection of Cath kidstons wash bag, I have realised that the embroidery is clearly done on a machine. Mine isn't! It has taken me hours and I have yet to think what to do with it. I was going to put it onto a wash bag, but I think it would be a waste. I might frame it and hang it in the bathroom! 

Hope you all have a fab week and enjoy the hols. Lucky for some of you (slumping down in my chair)

Kel

xxxxx

Craft round up

Hi,

I am just quickly doing a catch up of the crafts I have completed since my last blog. I am going to bed after, and I have had a niggle in the back of my head to record it all in my blog space!!

So here it all is. Some old skills and has always some new ones too.

Patchwork crazy 

Ceramics

This lil piggy, money banks.

Winter tile/coaster, custom order.

I painted this and I am quite pleased with it, I am no means an artist!!

Four seasons hand painted tiles/coasters.

Wedding signature platter sample.

              

Hand painted birthday present trinket box. 

Hand painted celebration plate samples.

Hand painted caravan tile. 

This is one of the favourite ceramics I've painted recently.

Crochet 

Mini crochet garland for my kitchen.

Crochet garland in the making. 

Sewing bags

My new bag design. Think I may keep this for myself. Love it!!

Soap Making

I haven't done this for about a year. I didn't get on with it first time round. But, I never give up, I just set it aside and just unconsciously work on it in my mind. 

Here is the results. Lovely pink and white layers. It is so appealing on the eye and lovely to use, but the smell, oh boy the smell. I used rose blend essential oil, which is lush, but I also used surgical spirits to help the layers adhere and get rid of bubbles. The smell is like germolene, hospital smell. The resources say this will disappear. I hope so, or this beautiful soap is wasted. Fingers crossed. 

Well that is what I have been up to. I will be popping over to see all of you I follow sometime this week. 

I will leave you with crafting with the kids yesterday. I had them all to myself whilst the other half went golfing!!! Nice for some!

Loom bands (before they went into the vacuum cleaner!!) and our home made maker!!

Homemade chocolate lollies.

Making lemon drizzle. 

Drawing on t-shirts.

Busy, busy busy. 

All pictures and not much natter. 

Enjoy your week.

kel x 

Patchwork and hand applique - A 'Block a month'.

Hello all,

I have been sooo busy last few days with one thing and another. I have finally finished a couple of projects, the first being the hand applique cushion cover. They were supposed to be two types of flowers, but they look very much like bells and stars!! Oh well, it's not too bad for my first attempt.

I made a simple border using the same fabrics, backed it with the green spotty fabric and added a zip.

Secondly, I finished the ripple cushion. Has I was working the ripples on this project, I quite enjoyed it, but didn't like the colours. I was just using up the unwanted balls in my dwindling stash!!! I need a yarn fix very soon (please)!!!

I now don't mind the colours, now I have finished it. It doesn't really go with my decor at home. It will get thrown from sofa to sofa and then shoved in a cupboard to be forgotten about!! Maybe someone will claim it for their home!!

The next thing I have been working on, is another hand applique cushion cover. 

I bought my first ever patchwork and quilting magazine this week and really got into it and started to drool over the fabrics and the beautiful quilts that can be made and treasured. 

Every month they have a 'Block of the month'. So I dug out some fabrics that I have been saving for such an occassion and began the challenge. . .  The Dresden flower

What a great challenge to use up my scraps and build a beautiful quilt.

I managed to increase the original template for the petals and flower centre by 200% with a photocopier!!! I was well impressed with myself, maths isn't my strongest point!!

Cutting and forming the petals was quite straight forward and easy. 

The pattern suggests machine stitching the petals onto the background, but hey, I decided to not take the easy option and I hand appliques the petals onto the background. I am sooooo pleased with the result!

Next was the circle. I am not sure about the fabric for this. It had the right colours but the pattern just isn't quite right. 

Now I thought I would mess this up, but again it went smoothly and quite well. I around the fabric around a cardbpoard template. I kept the template in place and then pulled away the cardboard before sewing up the last quarter of the circle. 

Ta dah!!!

So far, so good . . . right? Right!!

After putting on the boarder, I decided to attempt the dreaded quilting!!! I chickened this one out and went for 'in-the-ditch' quilting. Probably easiest to do, but found it quite tense. I probably had my tongue hanging out, trying to be really neat!!!

I LOVE IT!!!!!

Now, you may remember me saying it is a 'block a month' to eventually make a beautiful quilt!! But, I just couldn't resist using it right now. I will make another to save for the quilt challenge!!!

I didn't make another dress, things have been stressful enough this past week with unwell grandparents, cars breaking down and business being a bit slow (hence why I have had time to sew so much). So I eneded up buying a dress to take the pressure off!

I will say goodby for now and I hope I haven't bored you too much with my makery!

I will leave you with some lovely sweat williams I purchased and beautiful roses I cut from my garden!!!

Kel xx