A Crocheted Alien.

I was browsing the internet and found this little alien - The eye isn't quite right as I was too lazy to get up and look for my blue and black wool.
While looking for patterns to use up all the stash I found a pattern for the mutant ninja turtles... I must try and make them up for Luke ... or my nephew .... will have to work in the evenings though ....

Off to bed as I am shattered. Will someone please tell my children that the clocks have gone back! They keep on getting up at 5-30 sigh .... 6-30 was bad enough ! Especially as it is half term and I would love a lie in !

Not sure if I will get a lie in tomorrow though as Anna-Kate is off on Brownie camp and she will be nagging me to get everything ready !!!

Chat soon !

I have had a great day !

Well after all my worrying yesterday / last night / this morning.... I have my new car in my driveway.

She is lovely ! As my son says she drives very smoothly ! I think I am in love .... don't ask me the type as I will sound like a blonde and tell you it is a blue car ... a lovely metallic blue ! I think she is a Cleo.

And my poor red car has gone off to car heaven as it will cost far too much for anyone to fix her.

She worked so hard for my family and in a silly way I will miss her.

I have also completed my second seminole block. Much blood, sweat but no tears were shed during the making of this block ! To get the corners all to meet drove me crazy !!!

As you can see this is my experimentation with pink phase. (And ignore all the threads please !) This measures just a bit bigger than 12 and a half inches square so will fit in with the rest of my blocks.

Last night I made a camara case for my digital camara as Anna-Kate is going to borrow it for her brownie camp this weekend. It is just single crochet (US) or double crochet (UK), with beads attached as a closure.

Quick pattern (US) make a chain of 16, SC in the third chain from hook (first 2 chains make first stitch) sc down your chain - will be 14 sc, then make another sc in the last chain - turn your chain and do 14 down the other side of chain - make another SC in last chain, I do not join to the first SC I just go around and around until it covered my camara. Then decided I had done enough then did 14 sc back and forth on one side to form the flap - when it is long enough stop.

Made a chain of about 15 joined with slip stich and sewed it on the flap. Joined the beads in the right place to flip through the hoop.... and there you go ! Hope it protects my camara !

And now I am deciding what I am going to do next. I need to use up my 'wool' stash - I say 'wool' but most is acrylic so I am thinking about making some toys for Christmas...

Wednesday ...

No photos taken today. I have finished the blog based swap .... I think. Tomorrow I will make the final decision - and get it ready to post. Will also put together the stocking swap to post. I hope to go to the post office after dropping Anna-Kate off at the bus.

I have made me another head band and a star for the Christmas tree today.

We also have packed for Anna-Kate's camp - she is only going on Friday but she is packed already !

I am a bit nervous about getting my new car tomorrow. The chao from the garage is coming to pick us up (I hope he realises I have two children too!) then off to the garage to collect my new car. I was going to go straight there but my car has given up now so I can not drive her any more. Greg has just phoned to tell me to take the jump leads out of my car ! I still have a few things to get out of her - ie all my re-usable shopping bags and car seats !

Then after collecting the new car I need to go to Tesco to do the very late grocery shopping.

I still need to catch up with some of my unfinished quilt blocks.

I have remembered to buy some 2oz wadding for my next block from ebay and need to organise the fabric. Tomorrow I am going to get out my sewing machine to finish off the seminole block.
Wouldn't mind a new skirt either !

We will see what tomorrow brings.

HUGS all - chat soon.

Pixie Cottage.

Another UFO completed. It was fun to finish ! Anna-Kate is a fan ... Father Christmas may make one for her stocking when she is back at school.

Now back to my swap...

Thank-goodness we went for a walk to the shops when we did as the sky has just gone black, rain has poured down from the sky and there was even thunder and lightening !

My cats were not happy!

Please Leave a Comment.

I really need your honest opinion about this shawl. Would you like to get it as a present? Would you wear it? Is it too bright?

Not sure if I should give it to someone as a present or should I frog it?

Be careful what you wish for it may be in your Christmas stocking come the 25 of December !!

Unsure Vanessa XXXX

My Cupboards are Bare.

I usually go grocery shopping every Monday morning. So Up I get this morning, shower myself and bath the children - get all ready to go and do the grocery shopping. But my poor old car can not even reverse out of the driveway ! We kept on going forward... so now I am bumper to bumper with Greg's car.

I had to go to the shops though as Anna-Kate is off camping this weekend. We decided to walk in to town and actually we all had great fun going around the charity shops and pound shops. With a few clothes shops thrown in.

I think Anna-Kate is just about kitted out for this camp.

Then I came home to make something for a swap I am in and now do not have enough wool to finish the project.

So not a great Monday. But not too bad either as we all had a lovely walk and talk this morning.
I even had a nap this afternoon !

Chat tomorrow ! I hope to get some sewing done tomorrow.

Happy crafting.

Our Sunday in.

Today the clocks have gone back an hour. So technically I should have had an extra hour in bed, but someone forgot to tell my children to say in bed ! Although to give them their due they did let me sleep until 7 ! But 6 really after the clocks went back.

We stayed in our pajamas for ages as I simply forgot the time getting stuck into my (5th???) block.

So I took this Ikea fabric -

cut it into one and a half inch strips, sewed them back together, cut them into strips again and sewed them back together so a piece of material twice this width became .....

I then cut this fabric into four, 6 and a quarter inch squares and voila I made the block - but I have forgotten to take a photo of it. Will try to remember to take pics tomorrow.

Then I made my second item for my blog swap .... (hint) it has got something to do with the above fabric !

I am now working on the third item for the above mentioned swap.... and I have another idea bouncing around in my head !

While I was being crafty Luke was doing wizardry ....

Here he is with his cauldron, magic book and wand ... oh I think there are some potion bottles there too!

Putting a spell on you all !!!

Have a lovely Sunday evening.

Chat soon.

xxxx

Saturday Update.

No photos today again I am afraid as the two objects I have made yesterday and today are for a blog based swap.
Very exciting ! Have to really brain storm for this swap as it is based around Gold, Frankensence and Myrh (spelling of the last two???)

Greg went to Syria for three weeks today. We are not too sad as the children now realise that Greg does come back every time ! And we will see him in three weeks. Luke was also distracted as he had a swimming party this afternoon. My boy spent an hour in the water - OK he did not go under water but he even jumped in three times!
Anna-Kate was allowed to swim too - I was going to let her give up - but after seeing her doing the butterfly while she was playing in the water I am going to encourage her to swim. She looked like a little dolphin.

Anna-Kate is off on her second brownie camp next weekend, she is very excited about that.
She wants to try archery but is scared she will die trying ! So I have assured her she will be quite safe!

My brother ran the Snowdonia marathon this weekend - I have heard that he is still alive and well. I am very proud of him and a wee bit jealous as that is something I would love to do. Maybe in the new year I will think about it again.

I am watching Strictly come dancing with my little boy. Anna-Kate has joined us on the sofa now so we are altogether.

Must go have a jumper for me on my crochet hook - and have many ideas bouncing around in my head to try !

Happy Weekend.

Chat soon.

Fabulous Friday !

Wow - so much can happen in one day !
Woke up - as you do ! - and got the kiddies ready for school. Then sat down to sew my strips of fabric together. Need to do more sometime this week (if I have time!)
Dash off to my quilting class - via two charity shops. Bought 6 Scooby Doo videos for the children from Oxfam and then went over to the Hospice shop and bought an embroidery book. I looked on the floor and saw 10 folders FULL of the Golden Hands magazines. So I am so happy now.
Went to class - which was not as successful as usual. So have homework to do!

Then hubby phoned while I was there to tell me the strange sound which has been there off and on for ages is the gear box and something else and will cost OVER £1200 PLUS VAT ! So he bought me a new car. This had to be rushed as he is off to Syria tomorrow !

Then we went out for a lovely meal. So I am sat on the sofa FULL and have NO energy to move !

But have LOADS to do so need to move ASAP !

Have a GREAT crafting weekend !

Chat soon.

Tuesday to Thursday.

Where has this week gone? The saying time flies when you are having fun is really true. Greg is home until Saturday - just a flying visit as he has to go to Syria while waiting for his Libyan visa to be renewed.

Greg's friends from Libya sent me a present - two china candle holders - which is really a funny coincidence as I have just started to burn candles again - so yesterday we bought some Christmas / wintery smelling candles from Ikea - will light a candle tonight. They are lovely and look great in my tidy lounge .

Yesterday after taking the children to school (which apparently is sooooo emabrressing to have BOTH your parents take you to school - so says my 8 year old!) we dashed off to Ikea and Toys R Us. We bought loads - coffee tables, bits and bobs to try and organise all my clutter. I know I am a minimalist deep down inside - but mix that with a hoarder as I may need something one day!

So after spending loads of money at Ikea and eating my 15 meatballs we went to Toys R Us trying to get some ideas for Anna-Kate. Once again I could have bought loads for Luke but still no ideas for Anna-Kate (Bindeez are half price there - so bought some...for madam.)

The orchid we bought from Ikea - as my orchid has just lost its last pink flower. So now I have two orchids!

Today I had to reclaim my lounge - so all my sewing stuff went into the dining room and I have my lounge back.

I have picked up Luke's crochet blanket again - just a big granny square in red, white and blue - it is inspired by spiderman - to match his bedroom. So have managed to do a few rounds of the blanket.

Tomorrow is week 6 of my quilting course so I have also cut some one and a half inch strips of material. Since hubby is here to help will quickly sew them together tomorrow morning.

I used Ikea material bought the last time we went to Ikea - not this time !

I also made this little blue bird - I have not looked on the internet to see if there are similar ones out there but it is just a ball with wings and a beak !

Sitting at the base of a fir tree.

I have also finished some Christmas presents but can not put pics up as the people they are for visit my blog !

Top Tip - for quilting ...

When I began my patchwork / quilting course our instructor advised us to work on a flat, hard surface.

So while out shopping I looked for a tray to work on - but they were over £4. This cork board was less than £2 and it helps keep my pieces in the correct order. Yesterday I did completed the square on the right and this morning I began the square on the left. Somehow I managed to lose or miss out a purple triangle.

I also completed the Christmas stocking for a swap I am in on www.crafster.org (I think that is the correct link !) plus all the bits and bobs going in - I am a little worried about postage on this as it feels HEAVY !

And now I am back on the brown blanket again.

PS - Greg is coming home at 9 tonight BUT the littlies dont know yet !! All they know is a surprise will be here tomorrow morning - hope fully they will be asleep by the time he comes home ... but they may not be as Luke is a night owl.

All very exciting.

Genetics.

My son told me this evening that he spent his last play time making paper aeroplanes for all his friends. I had to chuckle as my Dad used to make paper aeroplanes at school break times too. I found a wonderful book about making paper aeroplanes for Luke and he carries it around all the time. I dread going into his room now as he took a wad of paper up with him.

This evening he actually ASKED me to read with me so he can get better at reading. So fingers crossed we may have turned the corner with his reading.

We read his book together, he has improved so much but is still struggling - at least he recognises all the letters now. Then we moved on to maths and we whizzed through that - so I am a happy mum tonight.

Today I worked on block 4 - done a little more but not too much more ... I have tacked down another 1/4 of a block and sewed its top layer properly.

Then moved on to a Christmas Stocking Swap I am in. Stocking is done - now I have to collect all the presents to go in (I have them already - they are just hidden from the children.)

Having an early night tonight - as I am reading a good book - the latest James Patterson paperback.

Have a great evening everyone.

Chat tomorrow.

Luke was in the paper !

Luke and Anna-Kate have had a busy week at school this week. Concentrating on books and their authors. This was taken on Tuesday for character day. Luckily I bumped into a someone from their school and she mentioned the picture as I never buy the local paper.

Fifth block.

My fifth quilt block ... this one is strip piecing. My fastest block yet - I completed it in class! So no homework as such. But I still have two blocks to finish and I am working on a wall hanging.

I have left overs too from the block above and may do something with them - if I have time!

I did these today. I have had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while now so I am acting on it. Instead of tidying the house - I must whip around with the hoover tomorrow so it looks like I do some housework while hubby is away !

I will post my progress of the wall hanging as it grows!

Tonight I will be working on the brown blanket - remember that WIP? Photos will be taken tomorrow.

Have a great Sunday evening. Chat soon.

My inspiration book arrived yesterday.

I ordered a notebook from Photobox recently to write down any ideas I may have (if I am lucky) well it arrived yesterday and I love it, but then I may be a little biased!

Orange is my favourite colour and the photos are some of my favourite photos I have taken this year.

The flowers all grew in my garden this season and last season.

When is a beefburger not a beefburger ?

When an ingredient is left out ! Well I have just had a 'lecture' from my son. For their tea I made beefburgers, with melted cheese on top, chips and salad on the side. But apparently it did not taste nice as I had not put it in a roll ! Sigh... one day I will get this supper thing right ! It was just so funny getting told the 'ingredients' of a beefburger !

Saturday was a busy day!

Well I knew the children's rooms were a bit untidy but WOW ! 4 or 5 black bin bags FULL of rubbish and 4 or 5 bags FULL for charity ! All cleared out for Christmas now. Tomorrow we are hitting the playroom. I hope to send some of the toys up to Luke's room and send some more the Charity shops way !
Yesterday at my patchwork class I made a square using a sewing machine... very quick ! Will take photos tomorrow. Hope to have finished the 'objects' I am working on for a Christmas swap today too. So tomorrow morning (after ambushing the rather untidy play room) I will take some photos and show you!
We have a surprise on Tuesday and the children don't know that Greg is coming home ! Only for 2 - 3 days but I have managed to persuade him that I NEED to go to Ikea for storage !
HE said I must not spend £70 as the past 3 or 4 visits I have spent in the £70's .... I hasten to add this is over about 5 years ! So I said (calmly) OK dear I will spend £100 - he did splutter then !
Have a great evening all !

Freezer paper problem solved !

Someone somewhere said to use the wrapper in which printer paper comes ! So I hunted two packs down in a drawer and it works! So have cut out all the rest of the shapes. I am now tacking down the hems of each shape. Still a lot of work to do. Won't be finished by tomorrow - but at least it looks like I have tried !

Have run out of freezer paper ...

So will have to go back to the old fashioned way of paper and pins LOL !

Hopefully will find some at Hobbycraft next week !

Just wanted to show you my 'homework'.

I was able to get quite a lot done yesterday ... which is a surprise really seeing as both my lovely children have insisted on waking up at 5-30 AM !! No reason why they are in different bedrooms on different sides of the house - it is very dark at that time so no idea why they are waking so

early!

Today I hope to finish the block on the right and then I have to cut out the rest of the blocks today as well.

Not sure how much work I will get done this evening though as Luke is off to a story time at school beginning at 6pm. He has to go in pajamas ... he did make me laugh though as the refreshments being offered are - hot choclate, warm milk, cold milk and squash. He told me he would not have the squash as he doesn't like to eat it ! He thought it was butternut squash on offer ! I tried to explain to him that squash was juice but he wasn't so sure !

The school have been having a book week - on Tuesday it was book character day - Anna-Kate went as a Queen Fairy (but people thought she was Friday Fairy from the same series of books) and Luke went as Peter Pan but people thought he was Robin Hodd - and he was REALLY offended about this !

Showing the pipe cleaners in her hair and the bun.

Oh mum do you have to take photos of me so early in the morning ?

Posing as Peter Pan !

They had great fun and were all dressed and ready to go to school by 7 !! Unfortunately we only leave at 8-20 ish !

Tuesday - 'homework' - quilt block 4.

I designed my block on Friday it is a Celtic knot / interlocking tile kind of design.

I chose some plain fabrics this time. This is what I have done so far this morning.

Off to tack all the sides down now and then join this block together.

See you later.

Day Five of the brown blanket .

Day five and the brown blanket is growing and growing ! I have to put it away for a few days now to work on a Christmas swap I am in - so thought I would take a photo this morning of it, to show how much I worked on it yesterday. It is now a rectangle and I will just go around and around using the granny square method, until it is a decent size for a throw.

Off to my patchwork course today.... going to invent my own block this could be quite hard !

Have a great day today - craft hard!

Week Three Block.

No where near finished my homework for tomorrow.

I have ironed the freezer paper onto the material, cut out triangles of fabric, tacked each triangle over the freezer paper and arranged them in the correct order. I have only just begun to sew them together.

Tomorrow we are designing our own blocks .... very exciting but scarey too !

Brown ' Freeform' Blanket

This is how it looked this morning, I have been working on it today though as it is very addictive (!!) I am closing up the rectangle. I hope to finish it soon as I have so many things to make for Christmas !

Will keep you updated as it grows.

On the Hunt for an out of print book !

Good Morning folks ! I am looking for this book - The Crochet Workbook (Paperback) by Sylvia Cosh (Author), James Walters (Author)

If anyone has one and wants to give it to a good home I will gladly have it on my crochet bookshelf! I will swap it for anything (in reason !!)

Must dash now and get ready for the day ! Have a great day today - will chat soon as I want to update you all on my freeform (ish) brown blanket!

Day Two - of Week Three Quilt Block.

I decided this morning to begin this square again as I was not happy with the dark grey cotton I used yesterday. So am using a lighter grey cotton and have trimmed a lot of the seams off.

So have almost re-done the top row this morning.

But I feel quilted out so am going to work on the brown crochet blanket this morning.

I will trim the rest of the seams tomorrow morning - but wont be finished the square for Friday - but the lecturer has allocated 2 weeks for this square so I think she knows it is hard work !

Coffee anyone?

Day Three of Crochet Blanket.

I made the tiny granny squares a while back, so not everything was done in three days ! I am putting it together in a free style kind of way. I am not buying new wool for this just recycling old jerseys and using wool from my stash ... it may be for Father Christmas so we have to keep this a secret !

I am off to work on this now as I am not feeling quilty today !

Week Three - is VERY hard !

What I have done this morning ...

Step One - trace all triangles onto Freezer Paper (all 32 of them!)
- then cut out all of the triangles.

Here are all 32 triangles cut out of Freezer Paper .... please can we start to stock it in Supermarkets in the UK?

Step Two - Iron 32 triangles onto selected fabric .... hope I chose the right colour combination.


Light beige, Amy Butler pink and browns and a light pink.

Step three - cut out all the 32 triangels AGAIN !


Step 4 - have sewn together SIX triangles all in a row !! That is all !!!

With the seam ironed back.... Hope it looks OK - must change the grey cotton it is a little dark I think.

Going to pack all my quilting goodies away now - so I can crochet.

It is also Brownies this evening so Mummy duties come first !

Week Two - The log cabin.

My Log Cabin - made out of Amy Butler material (did you guess that already?)

The centre block is apparently supposed to be red (to represent fire in the home) then you should have one light side and one dark side. It was quite hard to do this with floral material - but I think this almost hits the mark!

Week One - Tumbling Block

This is my first block - I just have to place it on another block and then it will be finished. Love the 3 D affect.

Amy Butler fabric - big flowers - but needed three colours so used the white / cream back ground colour, the green leaves and the pink / brown flowers.

Good Morning!

Today is going to be a lovely day (even if it is rainy and windy!)
Anna-Kate is tidying her room - then will rush down in a moment to finish her homework (!!!) Luke will wander down at about 8 half dressed .... it is the same every morning!
But next will it will be different as it is book character day (eeekkkkk) luckyily Anna-Kate will be a fairy if some sort! Luke will hopefully be a pirate from Peter Pan and all I have to do is cut up some jeans !!!

Have a great week every one.

Happy Birthday to me !

I have not taken photos of my gifts yet .... but I may remedy that today !

Luke and Anna-Kate were more excited than I was .... Anna-kate was up at 4 (!!!) and promptly sent to bed again !! So at 6am Anna-Kate and Luke were up and put up this banner -

After all their hard work I was bought my gifts in bed - they had bought me chocs, lip stick, and a candle. Hubby spoilt me with crochet books and lush goodies.... I bought myself a patchwork course and loads of patchwork / quilting goodies!

So all in all it was a great thirty something birthday !!

And best of all we had birthday cake for breakfast !!!