2021 Week 18

 Some random crafting over the last three weeks:

I've worked on my painting by numbers Christmas present - I cant wait to be on a beach again!

I created this for Star Wars Day (although to be fair I'm not sure she used a lightsaber!)

I actually visited a shop last week - such a strange experience, I'd forgotton what it was like to shop by touching things rather than looking at screen images!

I fell in love with this selection at Hobbycraft

and I bypassed the usual "I shall stroke this while I decide what to do with it" stage and went straight to adding from stash . . . 

 cutting and tacking . . .

 and starting to sew!

The greeny turquoise (teal?) didn't make the cut.  I found enough is stash for the first green round and while I was looking I found a pack of Hobby craft grey which I rtaher liked with the turquoise, so I've cut them and started another flimsey!!!

I have also finished the crochet blanket: apart from a few joins where I'd balled the wool too short I didn't want to sew in any ends so I not only left them but added to them so every colour chnage has rustic (as in no particular length) tassles which I rather like.

What to crochet next???

A few Saturdays ago I had a whole day to myself - I was tidying up when I found a donated duvet cover that made it's way up here as I thought it would make a nice tunic.  I dug out the pattern that I have used many times and made this

 

Looking for the pattern I came across another version that had been cut but then abandoned so I finished that one too - good job they are quick to make!

I finished the Oliver safari bunting and his grandma has posted it off to Canada

2021 Week 15

 A quick project - inspired by the lovely Plum I decided to make a tray liner!  the red and white match my favourite mug (thank you Jackie) and the biscuit tin!

And husband helped me make a thread storage shelf for the embroidery threads - the 1000m spools fit nicely into a plastic draw in the Ikea Trofast units that make up most of the sewing room

But the 5000m spools are too big to really fit on the spikes, and generally don't behave

Ikea made shelves as an alternative to the drawers and I had a few that were not in use.  With the help of a length of broom handle and various bit of equipment in his shed we bodged this shelf

And it works perfectly !!

The lengthened denim dress has been finished and worn and photographed!

I met with a friend in the garden - I had finally finished the felt OLIVER for her grandson, and the felt animals needs to be positioned so I could hand stitch them on.  It was lovely to catch up and nice to have some hand sewing to do

Lisa sent Jackie and I this pic of her blocked crochet - don't they look fab!!!!  I think my blanket will be much harder to do!

With no crochet of my own to do, I thought I'd have a go at fingerless gloves!  Problem number 1 is that I can't cast on - my crochet is too tight!  So I used a huge hook and created three chains and forced the hook back into them to cast on three stitches . . . then turned the whole lot through 90 degrees and started adding rows of trebles, three at a time, until I had a band that was long enough.  

I then turned it through 90 degrees again and started adding to the side (2,1,1,2,1,1,2,1,1 to make it the right circumference and made it up to ten rows, I then missed 2 stitches and zigzagged back and forth for 7 rows then started with complete rows again.  there was a lot of frogging to make them the right size (left needed to be much tighter than right as I am, ahem, digitally challenged) but they will keep me warm next winter!

In other news, I finally finished this for a customer, just need to add a name

And there is a Ginger ready for St George's day next week

Apart from that the sewing room is an absolute tip, I've eaten too much, and I'm fed up with looking at this computer screen so I'm going to go and sit in the sunshine for a bit!  Hope everything is Ok in your corner of the world

2021 Week 5

Well that was a week and a half!

This single Ginger was designed to promote A children's mental health campaign in the two villages.

 

The design was approved . . .

The felt was delivered . . .

And I was in a different sort of lockdown for about 9 days

I treated myself with being allowed to do something different every 50 Gingers

This was the half way point (I didn't photograph the full number: as soon as the last one was finished I delivered them!)

Some of my 'rewards' were also Gingers LOL!  These two netball players

These prizes in a village Valentine's competition

And these to represent this month's challenge: 

We had a live cook along session where we made chocolate chip cookies

Yum!!!

And future bake offs cover pancakes,

cakes,

and around the world dishes, so this one has Norwegian waffles (served with whipped cream and jam made from lingonberries)

Another "between the Gingers" project was to use this up: It's a twist of sari scraps: mostly between 2 and 3 foot long.  I bought this at the last quilt show I went to (shows how long ago LOL) and I finally untwisted it to see what I'd bought.  I think there was a plan to make pompoms, then a thought about a crochet basket.  It turned out they weren't separate strips, but rather were joined end to end to make one long strip.

So I sat opposite Lizzie (tending to her needs every 4 or 5 minutes), wrapping sari strips around rope and zigzagging the whole lot together . . . and I love the result far more than pompoms or a small crochet basket!  I now have an ideal basket for my crochet when I get it back (I did try to cast on but I'm useless at it, so one of the church  ladies is doing it for me!!!)

2020 Wk 18 - how to find your Mojo

I realised today what had enabled me to start sewing again after last week's slump: look at the computer and see that there is lots to do for the Parish Council (actions from the auditor's report, get quotes for new website and new insurance) the village hall committee (write agenda for and arrange a virtual meeting and finish all my actions from the last meeting), the vicar (safeguarding training and a list by month but not year of the parishioners who have died in the last 3 years, plus write agenda for and arrange a virtual meeting), and start a new post as hub lead for the Parent and Family Hub for the villages' voluntary group. (I cant believe I have never needed a procrastination label before!)

No idea where to start or how to prioritise these jobs (Amo feel free to organise me) so I did some sewing instead!!!

For the lovely Tara who comes to Crafty Church I made this (she is a scene of crime officer!  Hi Tara, thank you - SOCOs are still working and get to dress like this all year round, nothing to do with COVID 9!))

I made this guy in army camouflage, and a Mrs Mop - another two groups who are still working and doing a great job

 But now I'm out of the right shade of brown, so production has halted

I have had to stop making masks as I'm out of elastic too, but I have been giving virtual lessons, and helping out with fabric

I think I've has this 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' fabric for at least 10 years, with no particular purpose for it so happily gifted it to my friend Jane, whose daughter Polly (who you have met before on the blog) is a teacher in, wait for it, Caterpillar class!!!!

I managed to de-stash, to a good cause, and even better I got flowers and some of the world's best flapjack - still warm from Jane's oven!!!

And a lovely FB comment "With B’s guidance and fabric I managed to make these for daughter, a reception class teacher (caterpillar class!) if she has to wear masks when they go back hopefully she won’t scare the little ones any more than normal"

Also from FB: I made the bus Ginger to acknowledge our super 305 bus driver, but he wasn't on the group where I've been posting the photos.  Someone took a screen shot of it for him and this was his comment

"Just when U think life couldn't throw u another surprise u are immortalised as a ginger gingerbread bus driver.  Thank U very touched"

And yes there is more (obviously really struggling with what to start with for work)  Two nesting felt bowls (for useful stuff)

Delicious fluffy scones from plum's recipe

A super post card from Avril "We may be behind our door and windows but we are still connected"

I've started Hexi flowers for the May Hexi Swap Challenge, and have really enjoyed fussy cutting the fabric

And finally have repurposed a too big lining from a wooden crate into a useful big square bag for crochet or other "stuff"