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

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

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

Last week

Hi all

I got some great response from my rainbow flower and the cardigan I showcased last week. Thank you everyone for your kind comments.

Last week also saw me take my first steps in the new chapter of my life . . . a very big exciting, nerve racking one. But, if you don't try you will never know!!

Even before that, we celebrated a 3rd birthday in out house and we had a great day out at the snowdome in Tamworth. It was great fun. The kids went tiny tubing, sledging and then we all went swimming, 

We all slept well that night!!! 

I attempted a birthday cake for the birthday bot. Now, I like to bake but I am not a cake decorator and this is my first attempt at covering a cake . . . 

No laughing!!! If you can't tell what or who it is, the bottom layer is Mater and the top layer is Lightening Mcqueen. They are chaacters from the Disney film, Cars. My little boys fave film!

I was a good bake, made with traditional sponge mixture. He does't like jam so it was just a butter cream sandwhich!!

I made a couple of bags last week that I wanted to show you. I made them at the beginning of the week, whilst I was biting my nails off waiting for the news of my shop.

What do you think?

A draw string bag, or a pump bag as we called them in my day!!

I added a lining and it was quite simple after getting a few tips from the blog from 'skiptomylou'

Another small messenger. Pattern pieces are from michellepatterns.com

I think the red lining really brightens the pinstripe up. 

I added a flower to my bag that I made a few weeks ago. It compliments the tweed quite well I thought. I think I am addicted to these crochet flowers!!

Can you tell I am cramming in as much as possible?? I know I have some busy few weeks ahead!!!

Below is some more pictures of the beautiful building where my studio will. I am so happy that I will be situated in this beautiful period building. It used to be the hospital for Shrewsbury/Salop. 

This picture is a bit blurred, but this is the lower ground level where my studio will be. It is full of quirky shops of loveliness . . . I think it needs a yarn shop and then that would be the icing on the cake!

The whole place has a great cosy feel. The other shop keepers are so friendly and welcoming . 

This is the view from the terrace. The small arch window on the left is my little space. You can tell they used to be doors. It is a shame they blocked them up, it would be fab in the summer to sit and paint a pot, looking out at the river Severn. 

This is the view of the river Severn from the terrace at the back of the building. It will be divine in summer. The cafe is next door and is currently being refurbished and they have doors and a seating area onto the terrace it is such a fab place to sit and ponder.  

On a Sunday we usually have a treat of pancakes or a bacon butty for breakfast. But today I fancied something different. I looked for a breakfast muffin recipe on the BBC website and tweaked it to our liking.

I added mixed berries and oats and made a cuppa in my favourite Yorkshire mug. 

They went down a storm with everyone!!!

Catch up soon

Kel xx