January Blues!

Well, so much for a post a week! I was so out of sorts last weekend, I couldn't settle to anything, so nothing much got done. But I've made up for it since.....

When I went to the Autumn Quilt Show at Malvern, I bought some flannels in squares and 2 1/2" strips. Lovely soft pastels and no small children to make it for! So it's for me, a complete self indulgence!

I've just quilted inside the squares. Unfortunately I don't have anything suitable to bind it with at the moment, so it'll have to stay as a UFO. A colleague at work gave me a card she had purchased in Paperchase as I waxed lyrical about the design possibilities (so much so, I think she felt obliged to let me have one!). This is my first attempt at taking the design and putting it into a different medium. What do you think?

I think the tree needs to be a stronger green. The outer fabric and the back is a sort of suede-style and a bit of a so-in-so to sew. It looked naked, so I added the flowers:

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I decided to make a cushion for the shop. It's Kaffe Fassett fabric around the edge, with Michael Miller fabric for the heart, all purchased from Lexi Loves in Cirencester

I recently bought myself a copy of the book, and I tried the bowl pattern (just in front the book) Spurred on from this, I crocheted the flower with a 7mm hook and wool meant for felting. It started off about 4" square: and turned into a 3" square flower.

It's still rather larger than I had anticipated but at least now I know it will shrink approximately 25%!

Not bad for a grumpy week!

Time at home

First I'd like to show you what came through the post a week or so ago:A little treat from I know not who! I took part in a secret swap on Misi. You had to make something beginning with the letter of their name. Being a T caused my swapper a few problems, so she came up with a 'trio of gifts'. And a delightful little trio they were too!

So, there are a few perks to having minor surgery - the main one being time at home and forced to sit still. SO I've got a few things done.

A brithday card for my son's girlfriend, who is 18 today! Happy birthday Danni!

Some crochet flowers, ends finished neatly at last and ready for some final additions of buttons .

Chicken update: Here are the girls. Chickens are quite camera shy - my lovely ladies assume I have food and so come up to see what I am doing, which makes it quite difficult to photograph them.

This is the bossy one (now, you'd never have guessed if I hadn't told you, would you?)

And finally, some photos around the garden.

This angelica is nearly 5 feet high, and has grown just this spring! Aliums and wisteria are among my favourite spring flowers

Playing with felt and a Big Shot

I did something today that I've thought about doing for ages; I used a Sizzix die to cut felt. Although the blurb says you can, I am a little cynical and needed to try it for myself.

Sadly, the photos I took are somewhat out of focus, but the general idea is apparent. A trawl through my button box provided the centres. Some of the finer outlines never made it; the felt was acrylic and quite thin, and fell apart on a couple of occasions.

I have a bag design in my head that I think one or two would look good on and a couple more might make a brooch, too.

The family is all home from their visits away; son has returned from Sweden, daughter from her Nanna's. House is now back to normal - half term is just aboout over and so it's back to business as usual tomorrow.

How long until Easter?