Blanket Update

How do!  It's been a while....and have I been busy.

I have a stack load of stuff to catch you up on and some fab piccies of events, makes and general pretti-ness!

So on to today's NOT ta-dah!

W-a-a-a-a-y back here and here and here I told you about a blanket inspiration, yarn purchase and progress.............

I've been scouring Pinterest deciding on a joining method.....I hadn't realised there were so many.

I thought I was settled on a flat braid.......

.....there's a great tutorial here for it.

But sometimes when you start things just don't hang together as you want, so, sadly, I tried it and it just didn't look right.

I took another look at the initial inspiration for my blanket over at Hopscotch Lane.  Becky had chosen Granny join as you go......

Gorgeous isn't it?

She also made this beautiful Spring Day Blanket......

Same Granny join as you go method.

So...I decided to join with Granny clusters.

Now for the best 'path' to take with a 12 x 10 blanket.

After much more searching I have settled on the Join As You Go - Continuous Method from Heather at Patchwork Heart.....

It is exactly the same pathway for more squares and is easily remembered.  It is also easy to remember the order of your squares as you work row by row.

I am excited to announce that (at L-A-s-T!) all 120 squares for my blanket are finished!

I want to say 'ta-dah' as this has been a mammoth crochet task, but having the squares complete, whilst being a milestone for me, is only half the story.

Now to arrange them in some pleasing way and photograph (so I don't forget!).

Here they all are, every single one different!

So, on with the joining!  In White.

See you soon with more 'stuff', until then...

Cheerio,

Love

Nora

xxxx

Sunset

Just had to share this lovely sunset..............

When I took the photos, I wasn't sure if you'd get the shafts of light, but you can make them out.

They reminded me of Clarice Cliff.

Over a few minutes, it gradually faded to this and then more yello, so I feel I caught it at it's best.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

I've had Tooth Fairy duties, Teenage Daughters Prom and a lot of making going on....so I will be back with some updates soon.

'Til then, byeee

Love

Nora

xxxx

Naughty Bargain!

Oooops!  I couldn't help it.....well, OK I could...BUT!!!!

I've been on and off eBay, Amazon, Gumtree and brand sites looking at dress forms (also know as tailors dummies, mannequins, dressmaking dummies), boy are they expensive!

Even the ones on eBay might start with no reserve but regularly go for excess of £75.  There is certainly LOTS of interest in these at the moment.

Well, I was wandering with my Crafty Friend and happened to see a torso in the window of a charity shop. I popped in to find that it was £35!  Yes, £35!

Having just had a conversation with my husband about how much money is leaking out of our account and needing to cut down and all that jazz....I felt too guilty to buy it BUT, I did say that if it was still there on my return a couple of hours later that I would succumb......and succumb I did!

So here is a sneaky shot (sadly it has no stand but I'm working on that!)............

How chuffed am I?

Does The Hubs know yet?!

I'm off to source some instructions as I can't find a YouTube video to tell me how to adjust it.....that could be the next post!

Until then.....toodle-oo

Love

Nora

xxxx

SAILOR PANTS!

Yes! *punches the air in a most un-lady-like manner*

Do I feel great right now?  Yes.

Am I proud of myself? Yes.

Am I proud of my Little Lady's photography skills?  YES!

Grab a cuppa, make yourself comfy....we're up for a TA-DAH!

This journey started last June whilst on holiday when I stumbled across the blog of lovely Jane at Handmade Jane..wow...is she inspiring!  And so willing to share her knowledge and be of enormous help to allow those sewing-ly challenged amongst us to get a leg up in the dressmaking stakes.

I love her style and also her colour choices (I love a bit of red myself!).

She lead me on to many other wonderful blogs and sites like Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing, The Little Tailoress, But it Can't Be From Dolly Clackett, The Vintage Pattern Files, Jennifer Lauren Vintage, Burdastyle.....*breath*..... and so I could go on...and on, and on!

What came out of this holiday rummage was that I REALLY wanted to sew something for myself.

I like unique things, and I'm happy to buy from charity shops so that I'm less likely to wear something someone else is sporting and there are some unusual finds too.

Problem?

Fit!

Solution?

Make it yourself for a better fit!

OK.  Here we go.  By the end of the holiday I had bought Colette's Jasmin Blouse, Jennifer Lauren's Bronte Top and Burdastyles Sailor Pants.

Weirdly, I later looked for the Vintage Simplicity 4238 and made that first....told you about that here.

I've also made an apron based on a pattern I found on Pinterest (more about that here...)

And some PJs which I told you about here, (but haven't yet updated you on another 2 pairs!!)

So, FINally I get around to those sailor pants!  Tentatively!

I can't tell you much about the fabric other than I got it from Fabricland for around £5 per metre, it is navy blue and it is trouser-y stuff...what exactly I have no idea!

You'll have to PLEAse excuse the state of the trousers as I had worn them all day at Little Lady's party when we went bowling and picnic-ing in the park....well worn and crumpled!

So...ready....here we go.................

Little Lady didn't quite get the shot right, so let's try again.......

Not bad at all and for a front detail shot.......

....and a side shot to show the fit......

I L-O-V-E them...what's not to love?

I'm putting them up as my May Make on #mmaw2015.

I am sooooo inspired!  I have the Retro Butterick 5605 out at this moment, instructions being absorbed, bodice cut and I'm also contemplating cutting a shorts version of these Sailor Pants in a lovely floral fabric I found in the remnant stack at my local fabric store.

I'll keep you posted on progress......finally, sorry for the radio silence and finally, finally...thank you Jane xx

Love

Nora

xxxx

May Day Early

...I know that is now late, but it has been madness here, so this is really just an excuse to hop in, say 'Hi!', let you know I'm still in the land of the living before I crack on with my bonkers week!

We decided ages ago that as we were both working half term that we would really make the most of our May holiday on Monday and have a BBQ, sadly, the weather was forecast to be not so great *sad face*

Undeterred, we simply moved our feast from Monday to Sunday (and had roast dinner on Monday!)

So here are my BBQ moments from a day filled with sewing, a walk and some play-park fun with Little Lady......

Can you believe that the trucks she is playing with belonged to Mr Musician (now aged 23!)....and yes...those are her pyjamas!  She wanted a Jama Day....why not?

The Hubs slaving over a hot BBQ cooking the home-made burgers to perfection........mmmmmm!

Our spread...small but delicious....a salad made from not a lot left in the fridge but cress, pointy peppers and carrot (and some herbs from the garden!), potato and egg salad with chive from the garden, The Hubs favourite coleslaw (from Lidl!) and Batts Tomato and Chilli Chutney (also Lidl!)

All washed down with a glass of the chilled stuff (Australian Chardonnay 2014...you've guessed...Lidl!) with iced lemon.

Does life get much more simple better than that?

Are you up to anything special this half term?  Or is this not half term for you and yours?  I get the feeling that Heather over at The Patchwork Heart will be filling her week with hooky creativeness....if that's your bag pop over and take a look, her work is beautiful....and fast!!

I keep promising to return, and I shall....but just not sure when!

See you soon

Nora

xxxx

Crochet finish up!

Whilst de-cluttering I not only found unfinished knitting projects, but crochet projects too.

Do you remember me making these.....

Well, shortly a after I started making another one but never finished as I ran out of yarn.

With my cushion order I told you about here, I ordered some yarn......

 to finish of this UFO.....but it was the wrong yarn!

I use some to finish this....

And I decided that, despite the colour being out and the wrong brand (!), it is still cotton and a similar colour so I will plod on and finish the crochet cushion it was bought for.

My OCD is shouting at me not too....BUT..... I have ignored it and finished!

Look......ta-Dah!

...gracing my Ercol find on eBay.

I can tell you I haven't really jarred my eye on the colour change and I'm suitably over the moon having this finished and out of my UFO pile.

Have I learnt anything? Yes....don't leave stuff unfinished, don't faff about ordering, just do it (so that you don't miss the boat on colour changes as I did with this!) and don't always listen too closely to the OCD!

Not sure what's coming next as I have 4 party gifts to make for Little Lady, her party to organise, a heap of stuff to copy and send to Ofsted, a house to run, a family to feed, a Teenage Daughter starting her GCSE exams this week...you get the picture!

See you soon,
Love
Nora
xxxx

Bunting for Party Gifts

Little Lady was invited to a party and we had the inevitable struggle to think of a present.

But then I hate buying 'stuff', surely a handmade gift has to be better than an off the shelf, same as everyone else gift..doesn't it?

I had half decided to keep up with the making, but go for something both boys and girls might like and settled on Tooth Fairy Pillows or Bunting.  I like to make gifts but I'm never sure if they are appreciated or whether people think you're being a bit of a 'cheap-cheat' because they don't realise how much work goes in to it.  As yet I have only received one thank you, from a parent, for a child's handmade gift having made Elsa and Sofia Felt Crowns & Crayon Rolls.

I asked if Little Lady knew what colours her friend liked, she went for the inevitable pink but also green, blue and purple, so although pink is the main colour in various shades there are also splashes of green and blue and purple.

I also ran into the child's Mum in the playground when she apologised for not getting back to me about our acceptance and suggestions for a present, but that she was struggling with what to buy too....so here goes....

I said, I make stuff, how would you feel about some personalised bunting?

I am glad to say that her face lit up and she said that she loved bunting!

Sadly it was all a bit of a rush and the camera was playing up so I have no photographs of that particular one....HOWEVER!

The Mummy of this little girl was SO pleased with the present that she asked me to make 2 more sets.....and for these I have photos!

Ready....

TA-DAAAAhh!.............

Sorry I wasn't able to get a hanging picture, but the light and weather hasn't been that great (until after I gave them to her!)

She was delighted and therefore, so am I.

I loved making them and at a very stressful time they have been a welcome distraction.  It also means that instead of paying 69p per metre for the tape, I invested in a 50m roll from eBay  for about £6-7 and it can also be used as apron ties.  Not bad at all.

I have also learnt...ask....and if you feel you get a good response....go for it, and if it seems a bit luke- warm then immediately say....or is there something the child is interested in...craft, dinosaurs and move on.

I might try putting together some felt sewing kits and seeing how they go down...not sure.

Anyway I digress!

I have another low fat recipe coming soon and some more crochet...a finish-up no less.

So until the next time,
Cheerio!
Nora