WIPocalypse February check-in

Hi everyone,

It's been a busy few days for blogging and apologies for things you may have already seen this week. Firstly a couple of people commented on the tiny hoops from Tiger in my last post. These are they so you know what you're looking for. 

WIPocalypse 2016

I hadn't planned to do WIPocalypse this year as I hadn't been particularly successful in the past, but feeling the need for a bit of structure to achieve my 2016 goals and also another SAL to help me blog regularly. WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi and each full moon we have to share the projects we want to finish or progress on.  Measi posts a question too - this is January's

Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!
 

Ok, so quick intro - I'm Kerry, mum to Tom (10) and Lottie (5), married for 12 years to Andy, part time administrator for a small company which I love. I have a passion for cross stitch, blackwork , crochet (if only I was better at it), the colour green, motorsport, giraffes and creative prayer.
.

Most of my 2016 WIPs are in this post but there were 2 I'd forgotten. One was the RAKs that are due to be done by March I think. I've done one, started a second so that leaves 3 to do completely. The other was the granny square swap blanket that needs 2 more squares crocheted and then making up into a blanket. These are the squares so far

I crocheted the same square twice so I could keep one and mine are on the right. 

I have been making progress with the winter swap and I've finally finished the top of the biscornu. It's taken me forever. I'm planning on finding fabric and a chart for the bottom this afternoon. I know what I want it to be so its just a case of finding a chart the right size. Here's a sneaky peek of the corner. 

The blanket is progressing too. It's about 2/3 done now. Whilst I'm still doing the squares for it it is my bus project. I have two 15-20 journeys a day and a 20 minute wait at the school between when the bus gets in and end of school. (The joys of rural bus services) so it's not unusual to see me stitching or crocheting in the playground. 

Oh yes blanket progress pic...

As you can see there are lots of ends to sew in too. 

My last project is the Scandi heart. There has been a tiny bit of progress on it and it will be finished and framed by next Saturday as I'm meeting its recipient for coffee and cake. It's been a good 6 months in the UFO pile as I've not seen my friend for that long. I'm sure the older you get, the faster time passes. 

Anyhoo...before

And now...

And now it's time to get some actual stitching done whilst Lot watches the CBeebies panto's for the umpteenth time. 

The 'C' word

Hello everyone

Yes I dared to mention the C word in October. Well as Strictly has started it means the countdown has begun. Did you watch it last night? Jay's jive was a-maz-ing!!!

The Travelling box ladies and I are having a small Christmas version of the travelling box that made its merry way to Cornwall this week. We decided that we would only take four items or less as Christmas can be a rather busy time for crafters. As the box was starting from scratch I made 10 things to get the box on its way. It's been a couple of years since I enjoyed crafting  for Christmas as it's always seemed a bit of a rush.

So here are my makes. First up is a little biscornu from a pattern I designed myself

Here's the back. Just a simple border so I could pop on a Christmassy button. 

Next up are a couple of snowman designs, the stitched one is a freebie I found on Pinterest.

 the wooden one uses buttons and a heart from button-it and coloured using gelly roll pens. The little wreath is made up from 1" hexagons. I made a few of these last year too. 

On a quilting theme I made this little coaster using 1" hexagons again. It has a  tree design in the middle. It's pictured with a granny square mug cosy. As you all know granny squares are about the extent of my crocheting ability 

I love this little nativity scene.

 

Next up is a little tree made of buttons 

I made a little stocking for each of the ladies and filled them with a little chocolate. 

Lastly is the biscobell. I found the make up instructions on Pinterest and designed the stitching myself. If only you could have seen me trying to photograph

it. 

It's stitched inside too...

I'm so proud of this. 

This eek is a crazy busy stitching week. I have a small 4" x 6" sampler to do for my in laws ruby wedding anniversary on Saturday and I want to get Steph's birthday present stitched. Busy busy! 

Have a great week all xx

Glorious grannies!

Hello, 

This post is a bit of a crochet fest so bear with if you're not a yarn-a-holic! 

First is the blanket I made for my friends new baby Alice. I knew they were having a girl but I couldn't find a girly wool that I really loved as I wanted a variegated one. Style craft yarns were recommended to me and I found this amazing one called merry-go-round. I did it all in the join as you go method for the squares and scalloped the outer edge. I added a little white flower for detail in the centre. 

Next are some of the lovely granny squares I've been sent as part of the granny square swap I'm doing with some of the travelling box ladies. Joan had the good idea of making the same square as the one you send each month to make the blanket bigger. I'm a little behind with making mine as the internship has been frantic and the travelling box is here too!! (Bet you can't guess what my next two posts will be about!) 

This pic has all the squares I've received so far as we still have 2 rounds to go. I've also had some lovely buttons, threads, ribbon, chocolates and sweets. (A whole pot of jelly beans. Yum!!!)

Rachel also sent me a cute sheep and Steph sent a little ray of sunshine too. 

These are the 4 squares I've sent so far. They all went with a bag of bits and some sweets or chocolate too. 

I've just brought the wool for my August square so I'll be starting that over the next couple of days. I've got a half done blanket that I'm determined to crack on with too, I think that'll be a September project as the evenings draw in. 

Thanks for reading, next up is the travelling box! 

Birthday presents

Hi everyone, 

Bit of a gap between posts again. My internship has been crazy busy with me preparing crafts for our annual church holiday club. We had 170 5-11 year olds doing a different pirate themed craft each day. We made hats, eyepatches, wooden spoon pirates, treasure maps on fabric and other pirates crafts.

 

There have been a few birthdays recently that I've crafted for. I stitched this toadstool from an old issue of cross stitcher for Lori. 

I was so pleased with how it turned out.  I backed it with red spotty fabric (I think!) 

It was also my friend Amanda's birthday and I made the biscornu that I had showed you in a previous post. I was really pleased with the finished item. It was stitched on a piece of linen that Steph dyed for me. 

Here is one of the bottom too. 

My last make was a crocheted brooch  for my pen pal Lauren. 

I hope you're all doing well and for the UK mums that are reading, I hope you're having a great summer holiday so far. 

Thanks for reading

First finishes of 2015 and Gifted Gorgeousness SAL

Hi everyone,

I'm a bit late to the party but I've joined Jo's SAL for the year called Gifted Gorgeousness. The basic idea is that you stitch on something that is a gift for someone or was a gift to you. Almost all of my stitching this year falls into that so I shall be checking in on the 15th of each month.

So this months check in shows my first 3 finishes of the year. 

I made this little brooch for a friend who has been a bit poorly recently and sent it with this Juicy Lucy card. It's a covered button that was a Cross Stitcher cover kit or free gift!!! 

The next thing is part of the autumn swap I did with Steph, yes I know we are in the full throws of winter but here is the scarf with the little pumpkin I stitched for her too. 

The scarf is a join as you go in Patons Fab yarn. I'm a bit obsessed with variegated yarns and threads so I've tried a fair few in the Fab range. 

Here's a close up of the pumpkin. It's a design from Gazette 94 (keep scrolling, its a long way down) It was stitched over two on a bit of evenweave in 2 shades of DMC. It was really easy to sew up too. I added 2 leaves and a little stalk made from a stack of buttons. I'm thinking of trying out that shape to make an ornament or two for the tree this year. 

So next on the list is to start making for the winter swap and the travelling box is due in the next few weeks too!!! 

Happy crafting and I hope you're having a great weekend.

2014 round up

Hello friends (if you are still there!!)

I'm sorry for my absence, a few secret makes I couldn't share and then starting a new job (an Internship in Youth Ministry for a year) meant I have fallen behind. So I shall wish you Happy New Year and I thought I'd do a quick round up of 2014. I'm setting myself a goal of blogging monthly so that I can realistically keep up as I am doing the Internship until September. 

January
I finished off the Big Bang Theory chart.

February 

Another TV related stitch, this time Game of Thrones

March

It was a month of finishing off WIP's so I shall just add a link to the post. Although the post is dated April, most were completed in March as part of themealicious.

April

The Spring swap with Steph. As you've all seen the posts about this, I'll just put a pic of my favourite make and link back to the original post.
 

May 

This is where all the new stuff comes in as my last post was mid May. Everything below is new to the blog and starts with Lori's birthday...a blackwork cat card and biscornu. 

June

Laura's birthday was at the beginning of July so In June I made her a dragon cushion and biscornu. 

July

July was a very busy month. I went to see the Tennis Championships at Wimbledon, which was a dream come true. Steph and I did our summer swap so I made Wimbledon bunting and a strawberries and cream biscornu.

A tea for two bundle

In the garden was next, which included a stitched bookmark and cushion, beaded insects. I also did a seaside themed book page with the other side being a picnic. I made a small granny blanket too.

Steph made me a fabulous bundle...

August

The travelling box arrived brim full of amazing makes. I made bunting, scissor case, chicken scratch bookmark, necklace, fabric owl, covered notebook and pen holder, biscornu, 2 brooches and an embellished purse. 

I selected the following to keep...

August was also my friend Caroline's birthday so I made a biscornu and Steph made me a brooch to give her as Caroline admires my collection. 

September 

I started making for the autumn swap and Steph's birthday and didn't get very far at all as I started the  Internship and went from working 10 hrs a week to 30. My youngest started school too  Laura and her husband celebrated their anniversary so I did manage this chicken scratch heart. 

October 

This saw much of he same where I was too tired to do anything, bits got done, but nothing finished 😔

November 

My birthday and my kind a generous friends sent me lovely presents. 

This was from Lauren 

Laura sent me these goodies. I love the colours of the bag. 

Steph sent me some beautiful threads and a brooch to match a skirt I have. 

My friend Amanda made me wrist warmers. 

December 

I actually made stuff and completed them!!

Triangle trees, chicken scratch snowflakes and folder fabric trees for Steph and Laura. They were made in different colours and also included bits is picked up at the hobby crafts show in November. 

I made this for my pen pal Janet's little girl from a DMC freebie chart.

I also made a chicken  scratch heart for Caroline but forgot to take a pic. 

I had some lovely presents from my crafty friends. Steph sent me a fabulous bundle carrying on with the autumn theme. 

Laura sent me 

 And Lori sent me these as my birthday present was lost in the post (so sad)

I also sent Steph an autumn bundle with this mini cushion

I was very lucky to win Laura's crafty advent calendar and had all these fab treats that included stash, makes and chocolate goodness. 

I'd forgotten about the swap we did within the travelling box group. Joan made me a fabulous Santa and candy cane holders

And I made a Joy decoration and sent choc and a few buttons from the NEC.

So that was 2014. I hope you've managed to stay awake through all of this. 

Best wishes 

Kerry