Vans and Buttons

Thank you for your lovely comments last week, I really do appreciate them as I'm sure all you bloggers out there do too!  Things have thankfully slowed down a little this week, I have been able to start swimming again  at my local outdoor pool, just 10 minutes walk away and had a bit more time to contemplate the wedding dress.

The 25m pool is beautiful and feels so warm when you get in at this time of year as it's so chilly outside.  It is a wonderful facility to have on the doorstep and as I usually go to an adults only session at lunchtime it's quiet too!

Wedding Dress Progress

I have managed to devote a little more time to the wedding dress, which I am pleased to say is coming along nicely, and have now worked out the skirt and train and attached it to the bodice so am feeling a little happier.  Only a total of about 5 tries!!  Each 'try' meaning creating a paper pattern, sewing the calico back together (that I used previously) so it can be cut out in a different way (waste not want not!) and finally cutting it out and attaching it to the bodice (the deciding moment!).  Wish I could show you pictures but I can't risk the groom catching a glimpse of it!!!  

Dorset Buttons

I have started making some different Dorset Buttons as I have a workshop coming up on Wednesday 13th May. The last workshop went really well but was only half a day and so we really only managed to get a Dorset Crosswheel button finished.

We have a complete day this time so I am trying out some alternative designs.  Below is the one I have been working on this week.

And here is another one I did a while ago with tiny crochet flowers.

I'll try a few more over the coming week so hopefully will be able to show you them soon.

And finally!

A bit more progress has been made on the van conversion.  All the seats are now out and the roof lining is off so we can see what we are left with.  If you didn't see last week's post, here is what the van looked like before.  The roof space will need insulating and all exposed metal will need covering to prevent condensation when we are sleeping in there.  Now is also the time to decide whether we add wiring for lighting or just use portable battery powered lamps! The jury is out on this one for the time being (I need to work on Mr FF to persuade him it may be worthwhile!).

Side panels are next to come off but we've had a look behind them and it all looks very similar to the roof.  May as well leave them on until we're ready to do the insulation.

I do hope the weather has been reasonably kind to you all over the bank holiday (those in the UK anyway!) and you have been able to get out and about.  I shall look forward to finding out what you have been up to over at Lucy Blossom Crafts on Handmade Monday.

See you there!

Take care!

A busy time!

We have been rather busy over the last few weeks with one thing and another.  It may well become a little quieter on the blog front during the next few months as last week we bought a minibus to convert into a camper van and also ordered a couple of kayaks too, so lots to do and lots to think about and hopefully lots of fun coming up!

We have spent this weekend removing seats!

If anyone is interested these seats will be for sale very soon and are all in excellent condition.

You will be glad to know that Giraffe No. 2 has now been finished!

And here he is waiting to be packaged up for his journey to his new home.

In the top right hand corner of this picture you can just see a small pile of wedding invitations, another project that has been taking up my time recently!

And finally - wedding dress progress.  It is progressing rather slowly at the moment, just trying to get the skirt bit right.  I think I am on version 3 as we speak :) It's proving a bit of a challenge, but once this is sorted the rest will be a doddle!!!!!

I'm afraid I haven't been doing much blog hopping recently, with so many deadlines to meet I've just been concentrating on the most necessary project before moving on to the next.  This week I'll try to pop over to Handmade Monday and visit a few more of you if I can.

Thanks for reading

Have a good week!

Birthday Weekend

Just a quick post from me this week as very little in the way of crafting to show you.

Wedding Dress Project is progressing nicely, skirt now attached, just needs a little tweeking :)

Those of you who follow me on fb will already know I am making a stripey crochet giraffe for a little girls 2nd birthday.  So far I have completed 2 arms and 2 legs!!

We have been up to our daughter's this weekend together with our eldest daughter for my birthday treat.  We had a wonderful meal in an Indian Restaurant Bhoomi.

Here is my starter of mushrooms - so tasty

Salmon for mains with snow peas, asparagus and various other green veg. Just delicious.  And an amazing chocolate moose for desert.

We rounded off the weekend with a stroll around a very pretty village and cake and coffee in a pretty little cafe.  Look at the cakes we chose.  They were delicious

Gluten free fig cake

Toffee slice

Fruit scone with jam and cream

It looks like all I've done this weekend is eat but I can assure you it wasn't really like that :) 

Thank you for reading, hopefully I shall have more to show you next week.  

See you over at Handmade Monday

Patchwork and Quilting

Did you all remember to move your clocks on an hour this morning?  It was a bit of a shock when we woke up at 10am!! but at least it was a Sunday!

Thank you for all your comments last week I have replied to each of them and found them all hugely interesting to read.

As usual a busy week again but this week saw the last of my patchwork and quilting workshops so I thought I would share my creations with you.

I didn't really want to make a quilt but fancied doing something a little smaller.  I started off with the idea of making 6 placemats in 10 weeks - one a week and 4 weeks to tie up loose ends, or so I thought.  Well 10 weeks later I have made 3 and even those aren't completely finished!! Never mind you win some you loose some!

This is my first mat and is the only one I finished completely.  I used Japanese Folded patchwork for this one and joined each square with hand stitching.  Not as easy as it first appeared, because of the bias on the circles of fabric, they seem to develop a mind of their own when you are stitching them and I didn't have a walking foot at this stage either!

Is there a foot on your machine you wouldn't be without and why do you find it so useful?

My second project is Somerset Patchwork.  As you can see I only completed 3 squares and need another 3 to complete the placemat in the same 3 x 2 configuration as the first mat.  These are all hand sewn using small rectangles folded into triangles.  I really enjoyed making these although they are quite time consuming and use a lot of material.  I haven't really fathomed out how to join them together yet and have even thought I may make them into individual coasters instead!!

As you can see, on my third project, I still have the border to turn to the back and stitch in place.  This was one of those times when the project evolved as I went along.  I planned to do a tumbling blocks design and had seen a 'quick' way of doing it on line, but this didn't work out and I was left with lots of strips of fabric sewn together.  I cut them into diamonds and this was the result, which I am rather pleased with as it turned out completely different to what I had in mind.

Once again, my final mat is still unfinished. I knew once the course ended I would struggle to complete it if I was part way through a design.  I was using a Seminole patchwork design and originally I had planned to make a different strip for the centre but I ran out of time.  Don't look too closely you can see a few mistakes in this one as I rushed to finish it!!

I have enjoyed this course but I'm not sure patchwork and quilting is for me!  I like the patchwork bit best but get very irritated if I can't get the design accurate.  The quilting bit doesn't float my boat either.  I need to master my free machine embroidery but find it very difficult to slow my 38 yr old Frister Rossman machine down - it's all in the foot control you see!!!

Just a quick update on the Wedding Dress progress.  For one reason or another it's been on and off over the last few weeks but we have now decided we are definitely making.  I am making a mock up in calico first, the pictures above being of the bodice and now I am working on the skirt.  Can't tell you too much just in case the groom to be is reading!!!

Off over to Handmade Monday now hosted by Lucy Blossom Crafts.  I always look forward to this link party as it is such a friendly community.  

Hope to see you there x

Sophie's Universe CAL and a Spot of Bird Watching

I do hope you have all had a good week, don't they just fly by? I have had a lovely time, a session of reflexology - very enjoyable, coffee and lunch out with friends and a mooch around Totnes - also very enjoyable and sandwiched in between ..... my quilting workshop (more about that next week) and some crochet, a visit by my eldest daughter and her boyfriend and some more meeting up with friends this weekend.

Unfortunately, the crochet workshop I talked about last week didn't go ahead although I was not totally surprised.  Beginners is very popular but not so much the 'Follow On'.  I think maybe I need to create a theme for the day so people have a definite idea of what they are letting themselves in for going to be doing! What would you like to make if you had just learnt crochet and wanted to move on a little further?  All suggestions gratefully received.

As you may have heard me mention in a previous post back in February, I have been joining in with a CAL over at Look At What I Made so I thought I would give you an update on how I've got on so far. I have a small confession though - that is to say I am running about 5 weeks behind!!! It's getting bigger and bigger and bigger and taking me much longer to do each round. It's about 4ft square already! I am still enjoying it though and am really pleased with the way it's turning out especially as all the yarn was free so it's not costing me a penny :)

It's been a beautiful sunny day here in Devon but very chilly.  We thought we would pop out for a breath of fresh air and go and watch the birds from the bird hide up in Yarner Woods. Unfortunately not all the close up photos of the birds came out particularly well but I managed to capture a few.

Can you spot anything in the picture below?

If you look closely, you can just pick out a tiny little mouse.

What a cutie! He was busy picking up all the seeds the birds had dropped.

Here is another visitor beneath the bird feeders

He was so alert

and a couple more clearing up the seed crumbs

Just before you return to the car park you come across this lovely pond

on which we saw three of these strange looking ducks

But aren't they beautiful?

He almost looks like he's been carved out of wood and painted!

I do hope you have all had an enjoyable time this week.  I'm popping over to Lucy Blossom Crafts now to join in with Handmade Monday so I can find out what everyone has been up to.  I'm also looking forward to joining in with Happy Friday over on Planet Penny's blog.

Thanks for reading!

Crochet Squares

Just a very short post from me this week I'm afraid.  I started making my daughter's Wedding Dress today but I can't tell you much about it or show you any photos as we don't want her OH to see it before the big day!  I have to make a calico tuille first to get the fit right, which is what I have been doing today.  So far so good :)

We bought a new 'toy' this week!  A replacement pressure washer to clean patios and also clean the rendering.  There was an argument as to who would have a go first - like a couple of kids we were!!! See the difference it makes to the patio.  It is great fun and very satisfying :)

Crochet wise this week I have been working out a few squares for a Follow On Crochet workshop I am running next weekend.  I'm not too hopeful it will go ahead though as of the middle of last week there was only 1 person booked in!!  I know people leave it to the last minute to book but I still don't think we'll get enough by next week for it to run. Have a look at the squares anyway.

I love this fun popcorn square

This shows various ways of doing simple spike stitch

And this square uses a lot of loooong stitches

And a pretty flower square!

Before popping over to Handmade Monday at Lucy Blossom Crafts I'll leave you with a picture of my pretty Mother's Day cards from my daughters. I wanted to remember my Mum also, who passed away 22 years ago, so I lit a candle for her to make sure she was part of the celebrations too. 

 I hope you have all enjoyed your Mother's Day :)