'LOVE' cushion

I've loved this type of cushion for ages.

I bought some fabric with my daughter in mind, remember it......

..in this post.

I then treated myself to this.....

...see that cushion on the front!

OH!  Smoochy love!  Very bad wanties for the cushion! Well, not really wanting it as an object to keep, more WANTing to MAKE it!

Out came the fabric, the applique adhesive sheets........

....letter templates (which were free in a copy of Homemade)......

.....matching thread etc.

I traced my letters and heart onto the fusible web, like this....

I couldn't decide whether to use the heart as an 'O' or a 'V'....until I had cut them out.....

I peeled one side and stuck them to the wrong side of my fabric and cut out the fabric.......

I then peeled of the final layer of paper and placed them on my linen...you can re-peel and reposition this stuff...it's great.

I ironed them into place and choose a teal embroidery floss for blanket stitching arounf the edge of my appliques....

I'd never attempted Blanket Stitch before and was quite chuffed with my fairly neat and even little efforts...... (sorry about the fuzzy pic!  But you get the idea!)

Even the back was quite neat!

I cut two back pieces from the patterned fabric to form an envelope to pop the cushion filling in and out (for washing!).....I ironed over  the two opening parts and sewed for neatness.....

I then pinned back to front, right sides together and sewed all around the edge.  Popped in the Design-a-cushions filler.....

 

and.....

are you ready?........

TA-Dah!!!!!!!!!!!!!......

Teenage Daughter LOVES it....and I'm really chuffed with the result!

More cushion Ta-Dah's coming on 4th June.

See you soon....Nora xx

All sorts of Odds 'n' Ends....

No, not Making 'Odds 'n' Ends', just bits.....bits I haven't managed to share...

I've been a bit unwell again recently (hence my absence from BlogLand.....but I have read your comments and I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to let me know you are out there....I'm feeling quite isolated and yet not well enough to entertain visitors!) and I haven't felt well enough to write...well, there was nothing to write, I've been quite fuzzy (or is that empty!?) headed.

BUT...today I'm feeling a little better and realised that there is SOOOOOOO much I haven't shared with you!

Now, don't go getting terribly excited....it really isn't THAT thrilling....I just wanted to share a few little things that have been happening here.....

...like this....

...and this.....

Aren't they just BeAuTiFuL...?

Then I wanted to show you my Fruit & Veg boxes that have been arriving every week from Abel & Cole... (in case you are interested these are the medium mixed F&V boxes).......

...this one arrived on 3rd May with 4 free organic eggs (Little Lady, myself and Crafty Friend had these boiled with soldiers! Mmmm!)

...and this one arrived on the 10th May....I can tell you (from someone who really doesn't like pears!)...those pears were delicious!  And the salad leaves were lovely and peppery...you could almost taste the iron!

I have found that we aren't using it all very quickly...so yesterday I made a minestrone soup for tea using all the offcuts and bits from our meals over the last week...it was VERY nice and must have been incredibly healthy.

Needless to say I have reduced my order to a small mixed box from this week....so I'll let you know how that goes.

Teenage Daughter and I have both been unwell, so to keep ourselves amused we have been Making!

I wanted to crack on with an Anna Griffin Christmas Kit I bought from QVC.

 Yes, I know it's a little early to be mentioning the 'C' word, but I didn't want to have to be too inventive, I just wanted to follow the design sheet and achieve SOMEthing!

As it was, you only get so many designs that are the same as the design sheet and then lots of bits to start inventing your own....so that's what I did and completed the full 45 cards in one day(not bad for a £30 kit!)

Look at the lovely quality of these.....

....and I've yet to put the inserts in.....I still have loads of foiled greetings, ribbons and die cut shapes left to embellish my own creations.

We got so carried away with our creativity that Teenage Daughter and I delved into a SIZEable stash and started making cards for all occassions (especially 'men' ones!), she made the 3 decoupaged ones at the back...I love them!....

We've certainly topped up our stock for family and friends (and all the cards 'til the end of June are written, addressed and awaiting posting......organised huh?!)  We have so many that we hope to donate some to 'Craft for Life'...handmade cards available through your local Cancer Research Charity Shop...please support this by buying your greetings cards there!  Thanks xx

We've been doing the usual bit of Baking....bread, homemade pizzas, oaty biscuits etc.

Hubby has made most of the meals, kept on top of the washing, gardening and evening and weekend childcare.....what an angel! xx He'll need a rest soon!

The staff at our Childcare business have been FAB...they've covered me so I don't have to go in!  Thanks guys! xx

Oh!  In amongst all of that the car has been off the road, so many thanks to our friends and their families for helping with collecting Little Lady from pre-school and playgroup...what stars you are...xx

I get my blood results tomorrow...so let's hope it tells us something we can deal with.

That sounds enough like an Oscars speech for one post! Hahaaaa!

I have a couple of cushion reveals coming up...one very shortly (as soon as I take the Ta-Dah picture!) and the other on Pinaddicts Monday (4th June, I believe!).

So I'll see you again really soon, in the meantime take care of you.

Nora xx

I used a freebie.....I actually used a freebie!!

It never happens....well I can't say that now, can I?

Usually, when I get free gifts on magazines I don't use them.

Not in their entirety anyway.  I usually add to my stash of buttons and ribbons and pop any stamps with my card-making stuff.

My first exception to an entire Freebie was this Tea Cosy back in February, remember?

Well, now another Freebie has been utilised!  I sound surprised because I wasn't expecting to do anything either with it OR at all this morning.  But I decided an extra hour in bed would do me good.....but I was bored!

I glanced over to a pile of magazines I had sorted through and the top one was this......

.... and sitting next to it the free gift!  This.....

Remember these from the 70's?  My Mum had one and I have vague recollections of her making a scarf!

By the side of my bed is a rather large bag (although shrinking now as my blanket grows....yippee!) full of oddments of Double Knit acrylic collected over the years of knitting and crochet by myself, Teenage Daughter, my Mum and Auntie and M-I-L (Mother-In-Law).....I delved in......

I pulled out three colours and set to work all the time wondering what I should do with my flower.....

This is what I made.....

My Teenage Daughter came in and watched and I discussed the use of the blooms as embellishments for headbands.

Immediately she was into my basket mumbling about some headbands I'd bought ages ago....she found one and gathered her three favourite colours of Double Knit!  She's not very subtle!

Again I beavered and much to her delight came up with this.....

Not wishing to leave out Little Lady, I found 2 of her favourite colours (remember the ORANGE Boutique Bag here that I made for the March 2012 Pinaddicts Challenge?).

OK, I haven't got an individual picture of that one, so I'm going to give you the whole bunch in one go.....

Hope you like these.......ready......

Ta-DaaaaaaaaaaaaaaH!!

They took about 20 minutes each, use very little yarn (so are perfect for your scrap stash!) and we think would make great little gifts for little girls..... or maybe fundraisers for charities or schools...?

Come on Crafty Friends....give 'em a go!

Not satisfied with just that sort of making today, I've been baking too !

The beeper just went on the Bread Machine, so I've grabbed a quick photo of our loaf and a HUGE pile of Oaty Biscuits, like the ones in this post.

It smells D-I-V-I-N-E ............  and look.......

I hope you have a creative weekend.....and lets hope there will be less rain and a bit more glorious sunshine to enjoy.

Nora xx

I REALLY dislike sewing up!!!

I have concluded that opinion is divided!

Some people enjoy the whole process.

Some people slog through the last bits of the knitting process....wondering when it will ever end and they can get on, sew up the garment and wear it!

Some people dread the end of the knitting because it signals the start of the torturous process of sewing up!

Me?......I'm in the last category.

I've been clearing out and tidying up (not so's you'd notice)...why does it always look worse before it gets better?

In my sorting I shamefully found some things I had knitted and not finished!  Silly really....you can't wear it 'til it's sewn up!

I piled the 4 items on the dresser in our bedroom so that they glared at me daily!

One was a simple button....DONE! Item now in the wash as Little Lady got a dirty mark on it before I could photograph it!

Next up was a cardigan for Little Lady.  It needed the sleeves sewn in and then the sleeves and sides sewn up.....and a button attached.  DONE!

Want to have a look?

Ready?

Ta-Dah!..........

Next is a jumper for me.  I originally started knitting this in 2008, I did a huge amount of it on holiday in Spain!  But when we returned I discovered I was pregnant with Little Lady, so put it to one side and made some Baby Bits. 

I did return to it to finish a sleeve maybe last year (or could be the year before!), but no sewing up!

I have now sewn one sleeve on and safety pinned the large seam down the arm and side......

I've also safety pinned in the other sleeve....progress indeed!!!

Finally a make from a make!

Originally the wool (which I think is called Spirit, not sure which company....but could be Rowan)...was bought for a jumper with a lacy panel in it.  Well, I got so far with it and realised that we just weren't going to get on!

I dumped it and forgot about it until a copy of Lets Knit arrived with the pattern for a REALLY easy waistcoat.  Ideal!!

I ripped back my original attempt and cracked on with the waistcoat!  In no time at all the pieces were knitted!

Again it sat around for ages.....hhmmm!

I did get a spurt on and sewed (is that right - it doesn't sound good English!?) up the shoulders and sides.....see.......

.....but then I lost the will to live and shoved it away again!

LOOK!!!   I've only got to put the peplum onto the bodice and we're away!

Hhhhmmmmm!

You can see the pattern ('scuse the pun!) can't you?  Happy to knit...yep!  Sewing up....nah!

Well, I though that if I shared this lazy secret with you, it might guilt me into finishing my two jumpers for two more Ta-Dah's...I know you are all REALLY good at encouragement (and boy do I need it for these!!)

I'm off to get some lunch, Dr's appointment this afternoon....that'll wear me out!  So maybe some time to sew in bed this evening!

I also have some card and vegetable shares for you.... odd combination I know...but all will become clear!

See you soon, take care

Nora xx

P.S.......I am ashamed to say that despite my best efforts (her-hum!) the grey and firey projects remain in bits!!!  I am posting this here in an attempt (again) to shame myself into GETTING ON WITH THEM!  xx

Pinaddicts Challenge May 2012

Oh my!!

It is here AGAIN!!

Is it me or does this come round really quickly each month?

Unfortunately I have spent since last Thursday night in bed, suspected Glandular Fever!  So although I did realise it was THAT weekend, I was less than enthusiastic or energetic about getting out of bed to gather my bits, finish my entry and photograph it!

BUT...... the last 2 days I have at least got dressed after lunch AND today although still unwell (and in bed with DD13 who feels the same) I feel more inclined to give you the run through on this months Pinaddicts Challenge entry.

I scoured my Pinterest boards for something to use bits, something I wouldn't normally attempt to make (just admire enviously) and something therefore that would challenge my Make-ability (or more like my ability to make it!)

I came to a rather odd conclusion (because my subject is supposed to be a Christmas Decoration......) but at the moment these little fellas seem to be very 'In'...so I thought....what the heck, he's gorgeous, I'll go for it!

Want to see what I'm aiming for?

Well, here it is..............

The tutorial and pattern is on the Juicy Bits blog wriiten by Jessica....extremely talented and Maker of such PeRfEcT items....go take a look for yourself...

I gathered my bits together, first revealed to you here with a number of other UFO's (UnFinished Objects!) and WIP's (Work In Progress!), remember.....

I wanted to achieve something from nothing....NO MORE SHOPPING!!!

The oddments of felt came from other projects (mostly executed by Teenage Daughter and strangely not as bright as I had hoped), a small string of sequins (I don't know where they came from, but I think with a bag of trims and lace from my Auntie!)

Buttons which have either been donated (yes, I am the receiver of all sorts of odds and ends from family and friends) or cut from old clothes, or the spares with new clothes.

Most of the ribbon of the size required to hang my owl from is that that I have is cut from the shoulders of new clothes...... you know the annoying little bit that they use to hold the clothes on the hangers.  Or sometimes (like Laura Ashley) they use ribbon to put price tags on the clothes.

Re-cycler or hoarder.....mmmmmm!  Difficult call!

Anyhow....... printed the pattern (and was shocked at the small size!)

Cut out the pieces.......

And started.

I'm not the most delicate of people (or so I thought) and imagined I would struggle with such a small item, and although mildly fiddly, it wasn't too bad. 

It made me rethink....maybe I'm not as 'finger & thumbs' as I thought I was.

Maybe I shouldn't shy away from small, delicate things in the future....(and now I've told you, I shall have to believe it!)

Well, it all came together quite nicely.  I did a running stitch around his little tummy, 'V's on his wings to represent feathers and sort of spoke looking stitches around his eyes to immitate the way the feathers open out around the eyes of owls.

Having NEVER attempted a Blanket Stitch before, my daughter suggested I go for a tutorial on YouTube, which she found for me....gosh it soooooooo easy if you go through from the front to the back!  Silly me had be trying to go from back to front...no wonder it didn't work!!!  Doh!

This morning I finished my Little Owl Decoration (already claimed by my Little Lady and enviously drooled over by Teenage Daughter.....I can already feel another one coming on!)

Want to see?

I'm so ridiculously excited by my Tiny-But-Perfectly-Formed Make...... teehee!

Ready......?

Ta-Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!........

Wanted a shot in the hand so that you could see how tiny he is.  Does he look tiny to you?

A not-very-good shot of him hanging from our Banana Hook!

....and one of him lounging on the sideboard!  (Lazy creature!).......

I have Achieved!  He cost me nothing but time, challenged my view of my abilities and is a unique and rather sweet decoration from my Pinterest board which ticks the Challenge box for May 2012!

If you get a chance pop on over to But Why MummyWhy? who is hosting the BlogHop this month, you can see the other entries and maybe enter something yourself!

I'll see you soon....the blogs are backing up with all this illness!!!!

Love Nora

xx

Mini Quilt Making

Many, many years ago (yes we're back in the era of the 90's....that's 1990's not 1890's!!) I was given some fabric squares that had been cut by the donor who had then lost interest and decided that maybe quilting wasn't for her.

Along with the forgotten quilts I mentioned in this post, they lay undisturbed for nigh on 15 years!

When I was reunited with this find, I decided that I knew just what to do and who they were for!

Back here, I was unable to share any further information as these were "1) destined for gifts" and "3)  I was in such a frenzy of creativity that I didn't take many any photos!"

[2) Makes for a Wedding which must NOT be revealed (just yet!), was unveiled in the post called Wedding Belles]

Luckily, I remembered to take some photographs when I made the second one, so between the two, I can probably hash together a photo stream of Making!

So first up we have this.......

This being the donated squares sewn together as instructed 15 years ago and safety pinned on to wadding and muslin ready for me to attempt a VERY simple quilting effort.

Like this......

I chose these fat quarters to back the reverse.....

I decided on the easy route that I used to finish my flannel quilt, called bagging (that is right isn't it Nicky?)

Here, I've turned the right hand side in and then over and sewn it. I do that to 2 sides and then once sewn, reapeat the process to the two remaining sides.

The corners then look like this........

Trim off your ends, take out the pins, give it a final iron if necessary AND....

Are you ready.....

Gosh!  We haven't had one of these for a while have we?

Ta-DAAAAH!!!!........

...well, I did iron it...and then Little Lady had other ideas...it's then going to get rolled back up to be given to the recipient....well, you get the idea!

My Mum got the red one and this green one is for my Aunt.  They both love cats and this mini quilt is ideal for putting under a vase of flowers to protect the table from water or Lily pollen damage.

I've been on a roll for finding and finishing things lately, I think I should post a UFO (UnFinished Object) or WIP (Work In Progress) list for you to read so that you can nag remind me to get on with them!

Have you finished off any projects lately?....Pop them in the comments (with a link if you blog so that I can visit you and have a look), co-operative nagging encouragement and support is always good!

Well, until the next craft filled slot, Happy Making!

Nora xx