African Flower Square Crochet Bag

Having had a break for a while I'm sort of playing catch up.  I was able to do a little crafting from time to time so am sharing a crochet bag I made for the summer.

I came across this lovely pattern and tutorial for an African Flower Square and immediately fell in love with it.

I'm sure there are lots of uses for this pattern but I decided I would make a bag for the summer.  I began searching for a bag pattern and came across an interesting page showing 'plans' for arranging squares to make granny square bags.

I chose this 13 square pattern and set about making my squares.   I used Sirdar dk cotton, which was very easy to work with.  I just love these colours although the pink, I already had in my stash.

All squares completed and blocked I set about stitching them together as the template above.  I used mattress stitch as this produces neat invisible seams.

Lining this bag presented a few problems as I wanted a bright pink inside but didn't want it to show through the little holes in the squares.  I solved it by double lining, using a cream on the inside and a pink on the outside of the inside - if you see what I mean!

I then needed to work out how to add the handles.  They needed to be long enough to wear over my shoulder and I didn't want them to be stretchy as crochet could be.  I solved this problem by crocheting over window sash cord and am pleased to say having used the bag regularly it has worked really well.

And here is the finished result .....

I've had some really lovely comments on this bag, even my youngest daughter who isn't a crochet fan thought it was pretty!!  Trouble is now, it has been so well used it needs a wash!!

I am looking forward to seeing what has been going on over at Handmade Monday, see you soon :)

Blogland Tour

I have been nominated by my daughter Clare to take part in the Blogland Tour.  A tour of some of the fun and creative blogs across the internet and what a wonderful way to start back after my break. She rather put me on the spot actually and gave me a kick up the proverbial backside!!!

If you haven't been over to Clare's blog yet you are definitely in for a treat.  Her work is stunning. Drawing, painting, doodles, crochet, stitching and most recently very intricate paper cuts like the one below.

She can turn her hand to anything and always produces an amazing result.  Of course I may be just a tinsy winsy bit biased!! So why not take a look for yourself and make up your own mind, you wont be disappointed.  I'll leave you with a coloured pencil drawing Clare did recently of Molly our cat, who is sadly no longer with us.

Ok! To take part in the Blogland Tour I have to answer four questions and then nominate a blog to take part, in order for the tour to continue,  So here goes with the questions first.

What am I working on?

At this moment in time I am creating Dorset Buttons.  From time to time I teach crochet and craft workshops and during October I have two coming up, one at a really gorgeous wool shop called Spin A Yarn in a nearby village.  Usually Dorset Buttons are created using fairly thin thread but this time I am using dk cotton on a larger ring to enable them to be used as brooches or shawl clips.  This is proving far trickier than I first thought!  Here are a few of the smaller ones I have created in the past. They measure about 1.5" diameter but the one I'm working on at the moment is nearer 2.5" and the ring is fatter.  Which I think is the cause of my problems!

Later this year I will post a tutorial on how to make Dorset Buttons and you should then be able to see the outcome of the larger ones.

I am also returning to my patchwork and quilting workshop this week (not teaching this one, just learning!) but here are a few of the blocks I worked on last time.

How does my work differ from others of my genre?

Hmmm? this is a difficult one!  I'm not very good at 'playing' with creations.  I like to learn a new skill and achieve a finished article all in one, so I produce something useful.  I think I'm more of a practical crafter than a creative crafter!

Why do I write/create what I do?

I love the challenge and how each piece presents its own dilema!

How does my writing/creative process work?

I think we are back to the challenge again here!  I see something I like and think "I could make that". Then I start working out how to achieve it. If I need to learn something new in the process, even better!  For instance, I used to make jewellery and fancied crocheting with wire.  I couldn't crochet so I learnt how to do it, now I'm hooked on crochet!

You can find out more about the little elephant in the picture by visiting a previous post Maisy the Elephant.

Moving on now to the blog I would like to nominate to take part in The Blogland Tour.

I have recently come across Itsamistry Design Studio.  I was browsing through the blogs on Handmade Monday when this cheerful picture of an elephant caught my eye.

I was instantly drawn to Itsamistry's use of colour and after having a wonderful nose around her blog realised this was a major part of her work.  Why don't you pop over and pay her a visit too - go on, you know you want to!

Well thank you all for reading my first post in a while! I hope you enjoy the blogs I have introduced you to.  It's lovely to be back and I'm really looking forward to taking part in Handmade Monday and catching up with what everyone has been up to.

My Cancer Interlude

Well, it has been a little while since I added to my blog I'm afraid so I thought a short explanation was in order.

Unfortunately I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer just before Christmas.  As you can imagine this diagnosis turned life upside down, so Fiddly Fingers has taken a bit of a back seat.

I have undergone, chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy since January and have just last week come out the other side!! I am now on the long road to recovery and hopefully a cancer free life. Fingers crossed!

This journey would have been near impossible without my wonderful support network of family and friends who have helped me immensely and given me tremendous support along the way.  Thank you to all of you.

Camera case in Crete!

I'll start with a 'thank you' to all who left a comment on I shall wear purple!  They were fascinating to read and I'm so glad you all liked her!  I'll keep you posted on her progress over the next few weeks.

Quite a heavy visual post this time as we have been on holiday to Crete so I thought I would share with you the creation I made whilst we were there and a few holiday snaps.

I chose 4 bright colours from my Planet Penny cottons as I decided I would make a case for my camera

 I wanted plenty of protection for the camera so I used bobble stitch to create a dense fabric.

You can see how bright and cheerful it looks here.

 Not quite finished yet though!  

I just need to add an edging around the flap and a fastening of some kind.

It took me until nearly the last day of our holiday to complete this, but unfortunately at the very end of the holiday ....... the camera broke!!!!

I'll just have to hope I can get it fixed or that the next camera fits the case!

Anyway, here are a few holiday snaps to give you a flavour of just a tiny bit of Crete.

See you over at Handmade Monday!

Have a good week everyone!

Bye!

x

I shall wear purple!

Hello everyone

I'll start with a huge thank you to everyone for the wonderful, helpful and supportive comments left on my previous post.  Unfortunately I didn't manage to comment individually this time but I did read them and found them all so friendly and considerate - thank you :)

Recently I have joined the South Devon Branch of the Embroiderers Guild.  It is a very friendly group of ladies, with a wealth of knowledge for many crafts not only embroidery.  I am really looking forward to attending some of the fantastic workshops they hold.

As I have done very little embroidery, I thought I ought to try out a few stitches and started to think about a project.  Have you ever heard the poem called 'Warning' by Jenny Joseph?  Maybe if you hear the first line it will jog your memory -

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

Sound a little more familiar now?  If you would like to read the whole poem, just click on the link above.  

Well I love the idea of this, so have decided to use this poem as my theme.  I am making a doll and will dress her using the ideas in the poem and my own interpretation of how I think she may like to look!  I shall then use embroidery to decorate her clothing.

Here is what she looks like so far!

I chose to crochet her body as it is something I am familiar with.

I used chunky, soft, multi-coloured yarn for her hair, crocheting a cap the same as her head first then looping strands of yarn in layers.  I have not yet decided whether to trim the hair or leave it as it is!  As her character is a little off the wall, I think she may look fine like this :)  What do you think?

 I embroidered her eyes onto small white pieces of felt, using 3 or 4 different colours and black for the eye lashes and pupils.  I may add another black line below to define them a little more but I shall wait and see what she looks like when I have added the other facial features.  I then needle felted the whites of the eyes in place.

She looks a little naked don't you think?

I'm working on her underwear as we speak - watch this space!

Thank you for reading!  I hope you enjoy the poem; it makes me smile :)  Off over to Handmade Monday now and of course, must watch the Strictly results later!!! Enjoy :)

A disjointed week and Jumbo Crochet Rope Cushion - Update

It's been a rather disjointed week this week.  A lot seems to have been going on but not much to show for it.

Of course, I finished my Jumbo rope cushion, sent it off to the shop and have been waiting for a reply but I don't seem to have been able to settle to anything else.  I got out my Kid Silk Haze project which has not been touched since January.  I started trying to unpick it (ha ha!)  The first two rows seemed to unravel relatively easily, but then ...... well lets say after many hours I gave up.

Plan B may have to be the addition of a bit of freeform crochet, in order to make a rectangle and then I can turn it into a shrug, but .... for now I've put it back in the bag! Does this sound a little familiar to some of you :)

Update
Unfortunately, as I suspected, the shop didn't want my Crochet Rope Cushion as the price was too much.  They did like it however and commented that they had seen similar at the London Design Show this week.  How I get it down in price though I shall never know!  Rope is rope and without buying 1000's of metres in order to get a substantial discount or knocking off my hourly rate (which would mean working for nothing!! and at £8 hour is only just above minimum wage) I am stumped!  How do you price products if you are serious about selling them?  Do you allow yourself an hourly rate and if so do you think £8 per hour is about right?  After all a shop is going to put a fair mark up on anything they sell and whilst I realise they have many overheads I would like to think I could make a little something too!!  This isn't really a moan, it's just despair!!  I have the skill to produce these things and it's obvious they are on trend but how to sell them for a fair price is beyond me!!!

Fine Cotton Crochet
I've been meaning to show you these for a while.  They have not been blocked yet so are a bit squiffy still!

A friend of mine is collecting bits and pieces for an heirloom quilt she is planning to make so I have been experimenting with fine crochet cotton squares.  Not sure which one to choose, may just send them all and let her make the decision!! I love doing these but once again ran out of inspiration this week and put it away for a while.  If anyone has any pretty afghan square patterns they wouldn't mind sharing I would love to do a couple more.

Jumbo Crochet Hooks
My OH has been making some jumbo crochet hooks ....

..... this week as I have a Jumbo Crochet Basket workshop coming up at Spin A Yarn this Friday.  The last one was great fun so keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Country Walk
And lastly we have been for a lovely walk today so I thought I would share a few of the beautiful examples of nature we noticed along the way :)

Have a lovely week everyone.  I'll let you know how the workshop goes next time.  See you over at
Handmade Monday

Bye 

x