bring in the unicorns

I’m having another crochet happy dance – the pair of unicorn slippers for my little neighbour, Mona, are finished. And I have one very happy little girl dancing about with pretty pastel unicorns on her feet.  I didn’t crochet any stars but apart from that, they look very much like the pattern said they would.

I didn’t have any aran in suitable colours for the horns or mane, so I made do with DK and altered stitch count to make it work.  These slippers really are lots of fun to make.  I’m already wondering which pair to make next, and for whom.

 

 

 

scraphappy # May

I’m linking up with fellow Scrapsters

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy,
Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn,  Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith
Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo, Alissa, Lynn , Tierney and Hannah.

with photos of my scrappy crafting this month.

For me, it was another patchwork project using 2.5″ squares.  I like to prep these squares from scraps each time I’ve got small pieces of leftover fabric, so no matter how many projects I make, the 2.5″ square box keeps on filling up.  Anyway, this is just a simple zippy pouch because I found myself in need of a zippy pouch for Miss Viking.  The husband and I had been busy painting.  I had bought in a packet of Baker Ross wooden bugs, that the husband painted and we turned them into “games tiles”.

There were 100 bugs in 10 different designs, so the husband painted in 5 different colour-ways so that bugs can be used for different games:  memory game; spot the difference; odd one out; or simply counting.  The wooden bugs were a bit fragile so the scraphappy part here was me cutting cardboard tiles from a couple of old shoe boxes.

Anyway, they all fitted nicely in the zippy pouch with a bit of room left over.  So . . . I added a “Tic Tac Toe” board (OXO to some) and 10 of my hand-painted insects.  Remember the voile curtains I had to shorten & hem recently? Well, I kept the bits I chopped off and bees’ wings are made from those.  I varnished a piece, giving it several coats of varnish, let it dry and cut out the wings before gluing them onto the bees.

a crochet reveal

I’ve been doing some crocheting, and since recipients have now received, I can reveal what I made.

Slippers!  Following patterns from this lovely book.

I treated myself to this book a few months ago and sent photos of some of the designs to Miss Viking asking what she fancied in the way of slippers. Originally she asked for unicorns, but before I actually got started, she changed her mind and asked for llamas instead.

In the book, they’re made in a sort of beige/cream but I made do with what I had in my stash, which was a Stylecraft Special aran in “parchment”.

I crocheted the soles using leftovers of a King Cole Comfort aran in “jade”, and added some very bright tassels.

Miss Viking is 4 years old (will be 5 in August) and parents measured her feet for me beforehand, so I knew the kiddie’s size S would be perfect.  They have a fair amount of stretch to them anyway, because of the crochet stitch pattern, so they should be a comfy fit.

After the fun of making those, and with daughter Lindashee about to visit, I asked Lindashee if she fancied a pair of slippers. Showed her some of the projects in the book and she chose llamas too lol.  Still on a stash bust, we agreed that Stylecraft aran “copper” would look good.  Feet were measured and I set to work on a pair in adult size “S” . . . worrying the entire time that the looked so small.  I ended up asking several neighbours to play at being Cinderella for me.

Anyway . . . Lindashee and Mr Lindashee came to visit last week. I had only finished the basic slipper, waiting to make sure they fit (they did) before I added facial detail.

And voilà a second pair of llamas.

They actually look much better on than they do sitting on the table.

I’ve already started crocheting another pair . . . for my little friend, Mona.  She’s asked for unicorns.

SAL “my day off” # 11

Time to link up with our lovely group of SAL members,

Avis, Claire, Gun, Christina, Kathy, Margaret, 

Heidi, Jackie, Sunny, Megan, Deborah, Sharon, Daisy,

AJ, Cathie, Linda, Helen, Connie, Cindy, MaryMargaret

and share photos of progress with our chosen stitchy projects.  My current project is “My Day Off”, which looked like this 3 weeks ago.

It hasn’t seen the light of day very often since, but I am steadily covering ground.

I’ve been busy doing other things, including finishing off a couple of projects in my “to be finished” drawer.  Regular followers and other SAL members will recognise the following design.

“Sugar Skull Panda” which is a design by my daughter (Megan to SAL members, aka Lindashee.  She has a little shop on etsy Lindashee’s Stitches). .  I stitched this lovely colourful design for the SAL in 2020 and I finally finished it off properly so I can have it hanging on the wall in my sewing room.

A very simple finish:  some echo quilting around the outline of the head, then a fun stripey fabric for binding, which picks out so many colours of the design.

“Midnight Rendez-Vous” finished off

Another hats off an big thank you to my daughter, aka Lindashee.  Not only did she have the patience to finish stitching “Victorian Charm”, which I showed you the other day, but she also volunteered to stitch on black aida for me.  I’d fallen in love with a design called “Midnight Rendez-Vous”, a kit by Bucilla. Clicked & bought.  Then realised it was black aida, and my eyesight just wasn’t up to it.  I didn’t even try and start this design, but gladly handed it over to my daughter when she offered to stitch it for me. That was back in 2020.

I’m on a bit of a mission to finish off some of those beautiful cross stitched pieces in my drawer, and this design called out “cushion cover” . . . so that’s what it became.

Apologies for the few stray wisps of white cotton on the black. Each time I thought I’d cleaned them all off, another one floated about.  Anyway, you get the idea!  A simple orange dotty border, so as not to detract from the lovely design.

Funny how much this cat looks like Ziva, our youngest!

“Victorian Charm” finally finished off

I’ve been having a look in my “waiting to be finished cross stitch” drawer, where I fold away finished cross stitch pieces as they’re finished, with the intention of turning them into something so I can have them on display.  For today’s finish off, I am thrilled to show you the something that “Victorian Charm” became.

This is a Dimensions kit, gifted to me quite a few years ago by Mr & Mrs Viking.  I started stitching it, but had trouble with the dark navy aida.  My daughter, aka Lindashee, offered to pick up where I’d left off, and finish stitching it for me.   Lindashee took to cross stitch when she was in her early teens, and works on very detailed projects.  And being 30 years younger than yours truly, she has more patience and younger eyes than me!

All I’d got done was this

that photo dates back to July 2017 . . . and is when it officially became an UFO for me. Fast forward a few years, when Lindashee offered to pick up where I’d left off (and correct a few mistakes along the way). She stitched  on it in 2020, as her SAL project.  The finished piece was brought back to France in October of last year where it was folded away in the “waiting a finish” drawer.  Anyway . . .

It’s finally finished!

I used a couple of strips from a jelly roll that I’d had in my stash for more than a decade (“Modern Roses” by Moda) because those picked out the shades of blue & salmon pink in the design.  It’s lightly quilted, with a chocolate brown as backing fabric and for the binding.  And is now hanging in pride of place in my sewing room!

 

scraphappy # April

It’s the 15th, therefore the monthly meet-up with scrapsters world-wide, for ScrapHappy, organised by Kate & Gun.

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, 
Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith
Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo, Alissa, Lynn and Tierney

For this month, I was back in baby mode.

Three more bibs and a burp cloth.

If I tell you that the graffiti one is made using fabric from a quilt cover I made for Mr Tattoo sometime around 1992, the spotty dotty one is made with scraps from a tunic I made for myself a few years ago . . . the binding of burp cloth is scraps from quilt backing fabric, and the little birds was a piece left over from the bib fest I had not long ago . . . all scraps were welcome here!  The graffiti print quilt cover was washed so many times over the decades, that fabric is lovely & soft & absorbant.

Anyway, the above made for a baby due in Mona’s family very soon.  I’ve mentioned Mona before. She’s the 5-year-old who lives opposite and who enjoys coming here to play with me (and my dolls) or learn to sew.  She has a much older half brother & half sister.  The half-sister is expecting a baby very soon, which will make Mona an Aunt !!!  So, the above for Mona’s future nephew!

baby pink 4ply finished

Having a happy dance here.  I’ve just finished another baby sweater.  For this one, I printed out the pattern “Tiny Treasure” by WYS which was available for free download, and knitted using a Katia 4ply.

Seemed to take forever, with the 4ply, and was something of a learning curve with the button bands on shoulders, but I’m pleased with how it turned out.

I followed pattern for the size 0-3 months which said sweater should measure 25cm across when laid flat – and it does, yay!  I haven’t weighed what’s left over but I think it took approx 60g.

I’m now going to start a knitting project for Miss Viking.  I know Spring is here, and it’ll soon be summer, but I’m thinking ahead to autumn already.  I’m going to knit a poncho.  This one – I’ve already bought the pattern.

I took a photo of possible colours and asked Miss Viking to choose which she liked best.

Was expecting her to pick one of the bottom three, but nope . . . she’s chosen the teal green (third in top row) so teal it shall be!

burp cloths

Way back in September 2018 I bought in some waffle cotton and made a couple of bibs for Baby Viking, now Miss Viking, (who was born that August).

As you may have seen, I had a bib fest for future Baby Tattoo recently, making a different style

but I did have a piece of waffle cotton left in my stash.  After making that lot, to keep baby’s clothes clean, I realised Mr and Mrs Tattoo could probably do with something to help keep their clothes clean at meal times so, I made some very simple burp cloths.

I just cut some rectangles, fairly tea-towel shaped and added some pretty binding (fabric which featured on the quilt & bibs I made for baby Viking).

As I say, they’re just simple rectangles that can be folded in half and flung over a shoulder, but they should do the job.   Now I need to get back to the pink 4ply baby sweater I’m knitting!

 

 

scraphappy # March

Linking up with a lovely group of inspirational Scrapsters

Kate, Gun, Eva, Sue, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy,  Tracy, 
Jill, Jan, Moira, Sandra, Chris, Alys,
Claire, Jean, Jon, Dawn, Jule, Gwen,
Sunny, Kjerstin, Sue L, Vera, Edith
Nanette, Ann, Dawn 2, Carol, Preeti,
Debbierose, Nóilin, Viv, Karrin,
Amo and Alissa

who post together on 15th of the month to share scrappy projects.

Last month I was sewing with chopped off legs of old jeans, making dog bed covers thus

For this month, I used up two back pockets, and some more leftover leg.

I made a little zippy pouch back for the Husband to sling over his shoulder when we go to the park every day with Tali.  Dog treats in the inside pouch, and doggy poop bags in one of the pockets.  It’s a bit rough & ready, but it does the job.

And last photo of the bag (well back view of the strap) the puppy and the Husband at the park.