You may think from the title of this post that I am talking about Daisy – and her love of stealing my footwear! She doesn’t damage it – just lies quietly and sucks on the laces – which are then of course all soggy and horrible when I retrieve my boots or plimsolls from her determined grasp. But in fact I am talking about the snaffler-in-chief – my daughter Rosie! She and her boyfriend Dan are here for the Bank Holiday weekend and, as always Rosie has been having a good rummage through my cupboard! I wouldn’t let her snaffle my Great British picnic blanket (pattern in June issue of Bustle & Sew Magazine) – I have visions of myself using it on sunny summer afternoons …
And anyway, she already has the patchwork one I made for her last month! She did however manage to acquire another June issue project – my Naughty Kitten wip pouch …
Arguing very persuasively that it would be absolutely perfect for carrying her crochet around with her …..
I had envisaged carrying my embroidery around in it, but she’s right, it will work well for crochet too. I’ll simply have to make myself another! Then Rosie noticed my current work in progress ….
Some candy pink satin stitch roses destined to form the border for a small mirror – another pattern for the June issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine . She has reserved the finished article, assuring me that it will be perfect to sit on the chest of drawers in her bedroom. I think next time she comes I will have to hide all my stitching from her!!
The snaffler-in-chief and me!!
by Helen on March 25, 2013
Last summer as a way of practising my cutting, piecing and stippling techniques – as a very newbie quilter (not sure I’ve progressed very much since then!), I sewed a simple patchwork cot quilt…
.. even though at the time I didn’t know anyone with a baby in the family who might like it. That’s it above – my Dandelion Bunny cushion pattern is sitting on top of it. (The knitted bunny is a pattern by Debi Birkin). A few weeks ago one of the lovely helpers at our Senior Citizens’ Lunch Club asked me if I had anything in my cupboard suitable for a newly arrived grand-daughter – and I thought of this little quilt. Here’s Ella all cosily tucked up beneath it – lovely!
And it’s lovely too when people send me pictures of their creations from my designs – and today the very talented Marja from Rosa Bears blog did just that. I love her interpretation of my Daisies in a Teacup Pattern …..
and quite an old (and free to newsletter readers) pattern – Hyacinth in a Teacup (think there’s a bit of a theme developing here!)
Thanks so much for sharing Marja. And please do pop across and visit her blog – although Marja is from the Netherlands so I don’t understand the text very well, there are some beautiful pictures of her work to admire.
PS If you’d like the hyacinth pattern, then it’s in the free newsletter readers pattern library – you can join using the form in the right-hand sidebar.
by Helen on March 2, 2013
Feeling a bit blue today. I always feel a little flat the day after magazine publication day – all the effort, all the planning and creating has come to fruition and – pouf! That’s it until the next time! I’ve also had some upsetting personal news …. so my flatness has turned into feelings of blue (does that make sense? I’m not sure). Anyway .. as my grandma used to say “When you’re feeling blue my girl, just stop and count your blessings!” And I do have a lot of blessings to count, probably many more than I deserve. But the real pick-you-up for me is fabric and sewing, so I thought I’d make something I’ve been planning for a little while. Nice and simple, but lots of colour to cheer me up:
Doesn’t look very colourful at the moment does it? But I’m sure you have guessed what it is …..
It’s a picnic blanket – a patchwork one – with a waterproof backing (perfect for our damp English weather). And it’s a gift for one of the most enthusiastic picnic-ers I know – my daughter Rosie. I’ve tried to choose fabrics that she’ll enjoy, and not too much Cath Kidston!
I’m trying to convince Rosie that there are lots of other lovely fabrics to choose from as well as Cath. So there’s quite a lot of Tilda in this blanket, as well as some Cape Ann by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S, vintage Laura Ashley and some pieces that I simply can’t remember where they came from. I think the strong geometric designs of the polka dots and red gingham set off the florals nicely and stop the blanket from becoming too “wishy-washy” (another term from my Grandma!). It’s nice and lightweight for carrying too. I cut 5″ squares and joined them into strips and then into a 12 x 9 square rectangle which I lightly quilted onto a Hobbs Poly-Down Crib-size backing. I chose this as it won’t shrink on washing and is nice and light.
I didn’t quilt the waterproof backing though as in my experience(!) water will leak through even the smallest needle holes if given the chance. I simply stitched the backing to the top, right sides together and turned out, topstitching all the way around the edge to encourage the layers to lie flat together. During this process I developed a strong admiration for anyone who works with waterproof nylon on a regular basis – it’s the most horrid, slippery stuff! Two pink (very girlie) ties stitched into the turning gap when closing complete the blanket. I do hope Rosie likes it.
Now we’re off to the beach – perfect for blowing at least some of those blues away!
by Helen on February 21, 2013
(Another of Rosie’s photos – just looking at this makes me feel cold)
Brrrrrrr… it’s chilly here today. Spring has packed her bags and retreated southwards and we have returned to grey skies, now accompanied by a vicious easterly wind that penetrated right through my several layers of clothing (thermal vest, woolly jumper, even woollier cardigan) when I went outside to play with Daisy yesterday. Her fuzzy puppy coat seems to keep her nice and warm though, and Ben simply loves this kind of weather. I have trouble getting him to come indoors – he’d far rather lie outside, basking in the frigid air, than be safely tucked up in his cosy bed indoors. I spent a while outdoors with the small furry monster(!), throwing her ball, tugging on her rope and generally pottering around before retreating to the warmth of the woodburner and a nice cup of coffee.
Which sort of brings me neatly to showing you another of the designs for the March issue of the Bustle & Sew Magazine. It’s hard to quite make out the text in this photo but it actually says “Coffee refreshes you” – it’s a companion piece to the “Tea revives you” cushion I created back in those balmy summer days….
It was in the June 2012 issue of the magazine. I’ve made the coffee pot design a bit sharper with less of a vintage feel – which reflects my feelings about these drinks – coffee is consumed in the morning, while I’m working, whilst tea is my drink of choice for relaxing with some stitching or a good book later in the day. Townie Husband loves Earl Grey, whilst I’m more of a PG Tips kind of woman – I wonder if that says anything about our personalities?!!?
