Christmas Countdown - December

So once again I've been joining in with Allie's Christmas Through The Year - the final installment!

Want to see my roundup of what I've made?

1 - 6: Teacup candles

7-8: 2 sets of wax tarts for burners

9: Cross stitch cushion

10: Table runner

11: Wine Bottle Cosy

12-13: Wash bags

14-19: Spa Kits

Which actually adds up to more than 19 presents, because the spa kit itself is a bag and contains:

20-25: Spa slippers

26-31: Eye mask

32-37: Crocheted wash cloth

38-47: Homemade soap

48-57: Home made bath bombs

And there's more!!  In the photographless category we have:

58-63: Glass candles

64-70: Birdfeeders

Not a bad effort!  I've still got some work to do, but I've still got a few days (including two full days where I don't have to go to work).  My list of things to make is:

1. Finish off the 6 glass candles I've made (just topping up around the wick)

2. Sew up the glasses cases

3. Crochet 3 x scrubbies

4: Crochet 1 x washcloth

5: Crochet 1 x keyboard duster

6: Crochet Yoda ami

7: Crochet ami pig

8: Finish the bird feeders

9: Assemble cookies in jars

10: Assemble the reinbeer

Numbers 6 and 7 can be left off if I run out of time, so I'm feeling pretty confident that Christmas will be ready!

Spa Kit part 1 - the nemesis is faced!

Oh yes, I've made slippers!  You may recall that this isn't my first attempt at slippers, but in the past it didn't go well...  This time I made slippers for the Spa Kits I'm making for Christmas, so I needed 6 pairs... it's a good job it went well!  I used this excellent tutorial to make Spa Slippers.

It involved large amounts of binding - my other nemesis.  The bits that go across your foot needed binding by machine, I did find this tricky.  Above is the top view, below is the underneaths.

Not too bad, but not perfect either!  As these bits are hidden, I can live with it.  Next came large amounts of quilting.

Actually, that's a blatent lie.  If you look at the photo above, you can see that they were quilted before being bound.  I can't be bothered to try and change the order of the photos though as Blogger doesn't like that so you'll just have to suspend reality for a moment!  These were quilted at 1 inch intervals.  It took forever.  The other 5 pairs have much wider gaps between the quilting, maybe 2 inches, perhaps a little less.  I didn't take any photos of that for some reason.

Here's the first 5 slippers with the machine binding bit done, awaiting my hand sewing attention.  I folded the binding in half and sewed both raw edges to the edge of the slipper, to hand sew I tucked it round to the back and slip stitched.  I haven't done it this way before but it seemed to work really well!  I know, I know, you've all been doing it for years, but when it comes to quilting, I'm remarkably slow!

My machine had a bit of a strop at this point, so I left it and picked it up last weekend.  I only needed to clean the machine out, as I'd suspected but had been too tired to do.  I got down to some hand sewing...

Ta dah!  I'm really chuffed with them.  They're all in the DS quilt range that was sold in Joann's and that the lovely Wee Pixie obtained for me.  I've used up all but a couple of scraps of the 12 fat quarters I had! 

I think these are my favourites.  But I can't keep them.

I have a confession to make.  I really, really enjoyed hand sewing this binding.  I've always thought that quilters who said they love hand sewing binding were wierdos, well now I know that either I was wrong, or I'm a wierdo too!

 I'm making matching eye masks.  I've done all the machine sewings, so now I get to sit and hand bind them!  That's after I hand bind the table runner... oh yes, I've been busy!  I'm still crap at quilting though...

The acorn cup/gnome hat/tiny bowl reveal!

Last week I showed you this photo and asked what you thought it was:

Nope, not a gnome's hat - I don't know any gnomes.

Nope, not an acorn cup - can't think what I'd do with that!

Nope, not a bowl to be felted, it would only be big enough to hold my toenail clippings and me and Mr CA haven't been married long enough for that kind of behavoir.

In fact, it was/is this:

I can see you're still wonderin what it is!!  It's a little amigurumi bear.  It's from the book Amigurumi by Lah-Anh Bui and Josephine Wan and I think he's adorable.  He even raised a smile from the Mr who usually gives my handmade items a cursory look and sometimes a grimace.  This might as well be an entry for the Craft Book Challenge, though I don't think the host is doing anything with the challenge, she hasn't even mentioned it since it began, so I wont bother posting the logo and all that!  I will be carrying on with the challenge as I wanted to do it before I saw her challenge.

I'll definitely be making more amigurumi, I really enjoyed it though it was sore on my fingers as the small hook and tight stitches needed were tough to hook.

I finished another WIP mentioned in that post - the cross stitch book mark. 

Well OK, it's not quite finished as it needs a tassel but I only just ordered them.  The lovely free chart is available here at the lovely Blog di Gloria.  There is a birdhouse bookmark chart for all the months of the year,  a couple of alphabets and loads of other free charts.  She writes in English, French AND Italian!!  Thank you Gloria, I hope you like what I've done with it.

Now, I never wanted this blog to become one of those blogs where everything seems perfect, or that I churn out project after project.  Some of them, make that a lot of them, are a realy mess!  This next item is definitely a fail.  I don't know if you remember that I tried to make the slippers from Sew Perfect Homestyle?  I gave up as I'd messed the stitching up.  Well, I decided that I should try again so I did. This time the stitching went fine, but look!

Is that not just the most mis-shappen slipper you've ever seen?  Need another view?

And it would only fit someone with abnormally thin feet!  It went straight in the bin...

experiments in crochet

My name is Wendy and I'm a crochet addict.  There, I've said it.  Since I learnt to crochet last November, I just can't stop.  I spend hours looking for free patterns and tutorials and then trying them out - with mixed results!

Do you want to see what I've been crocheting?

I found this great tutorial, here, for a crochet bowl.  It's made using two strands of yarn.  Now please ignore the colours as I wanted to use up so yarn I had in case it didn't work.  I love the shape!

Then I used this pattern to crochet this cute little baby hat.  I used a Sirdar snuggly yarn with sparkly bits in it that you can't see on the picture.  Love the little flower!

My final experiment wasn't so successful.  I found this pattern for crocheted slippers and had to give it a go.  I have so many pairs of slippers, I have to have them scattered around the house so there's always a pair convenient, but some off them fall off all the time and have caused me to fall downstairs!  I thought that if I was making them, I'd be able to make sure they fit.  The pattern gives different sizes.  I started with a 5-6 as I'm a 5 and I think that's a 6 in the US so I thought I'd covered all bases.  The resulting base was so tiny a three year old would have struggled to fit it - OK, so I'm exaggerating, but it was tiny.  So I tried the size 9 pattern.  This is it.  I can't get my foot in it.  It's tiny.  I must be crocheting far to tight as I'm using the right yarn and hook.  I'll try again with a larger hook.

I've gone wrong on the toe bit.  I realised I had after I'd done the final row, that's why it's so misshapen.  Ah well.  It's only made using budget DK yarn (£1.50 for 100g) and the pair I make for myself will be from some Sublime Merino wool I have in a lovely blue.  I've just got to get the size right first so I'll try again with this yarn and a giant hook!

I've got my eye on a lovely hat pattern and I'm waiting for some yarn to arrive so I can crochet a fab bag I've found.  More crochet coming this way very soon!

Success, and failure... (and a dirty little secret)

What do you want to start with?  Failure?  Failure it is!

So, I had some projects cut out and ready to sew.  The first was a fleece baby hat from Scandinavian Stitches.  I was very excited about this project.  I'd bought a fleece blanket from Ikea for the princely sum of £1 a while ago and I'd hacked it up according to the pattern.  I did the little embroideries for the labels and stitched them on.  Then I sewed it up.  Yuck.  It was horrible to sew.  Then I had to sew the zig zag across the seams.  Nightmare.  The fleece wouldn't feed regularly and getting into the top bit was hard. 

I really could have done with using my walking foot but I don't think I can zig zag with it.  I then turned the big hem and botched that too. 

I'm going to unpick the embroidered patches and start again.  Just not now!

Oh no!  My dirty secret is out - should have moved that ashtray!  Just a note of warning - I don't take kindly to people telling me I shouldn't smoke and that it's bad for me etc.  I do know. 
Failure number two comes courtesy of Tone Finnegar's Sew Pretty Homestyle.  I decided to make the slippers from the only piece of wool felt I have and to use some Tanya Wheelan spotty fabric which went perfectly with the felt.  So I cut and I pinned and I sewed.  Three problems.  First I'd missed half of the sole when I sewed so it was flapping open (forgot to take a picture), second, at no point does she indicate a seam allowance - not helpful when you've got ready made pattern pieces.  Thirdly, it was supposed to go up to a European foot size of 41.  I'm a 38.  I could barely squeeze it on!  So, I've unpicked.  Another one for the WIP pile...

So a success?  Well there have been 2 but I only have photos of one. 

I made some coasters from Last Minute Patchwork Gifts.  OK, so coasters are easy but this is the first time I've quilted.  I made four coasters using bits of layercakes.  I didn't follow the instructions in that I used a different front and back.  I used four different patterns and each pairing is different.

I don't think the instructions told me the best way to do it and I'll be doing it differently in future.  I had to sew up 3 sides, then put the wadding in and try to catch the whole 5 inch seam in my first round of quilting.  Not easy.

The quilting went well and this is my LANT for the month.  It's a simple spiral quilting.  I haven't yet worked in the ends of the threads as I wanted to get photos before I lost the light so I'll do that tonight.  I've got plans to try out other quilting patterns on these little babies!

The second success was the dress I altered for my friend.  She'd picked it up at a charity shop and it definitely wasn't a size 12 as stated so I sewed a new seam either side for her.  It was a simple straight sided dress so I sewed in a few curves and she looks knockout in it!  I really should have taken photos...

Stash galore and WIPs, also galore!

Due to popular request, I've decided to show you some photos of my stash haul from the craft fair.  First up though, I have to show you the fabulous giveaway prize I recently received from the incredibly talented Kirie over at Shape Moth:

Gorgeous fabrics and look at that ribbon!  Thanks so much Kirie.  She posted them out prompty but one of our postal services decided to take their time and we both feared them lost!  If you haven't visited Shape Moth, you really should, Kirie's work is just incredible and I'd be surprised if we didn't see her in print very soon.

So, onto the stash:

Amy Butler!  One stall had a huge stash but it was at standard retail price.  This little lot was on sale at £6 a metre though so I snapped it up, and one of them was the end of the bolt, £8 he charged me and there's 1.8m there!  The yellow isn't Amy Butler, it's just yellow.

These were also £6 a metre.  They're textured and feel lovely.

The stall I bought these from had loads of unusual fabrics.  At £6 a metre (again!), I snapped them up.  I love the ladies dancing.

I fell in love with this canvas (the bottom one) and snapped it up.  I actually stood there clutching the bolt waiting for my turn to be served!  We then spent about an hour trying to find something to co-ordinate with it to make a bag.  I finally settled on this white tone on tone.

Fat quarters.  Randoms ones that I just loved.

Sandra?  I forgot to get photos of the beady stuff I bought, you will see some of it in some upcoming posts though.

And the works in progress?  I've got a few going on at the moment.  First up is this little elephant from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson.  The book said it was a 4-8 hour project and when I was cutting out and sewing, I wondered how that could be as I was getting through it quite quick and I'm not the fastest of sewers.  Then I got to the hand sewing...  This is as far as I've got.

I did sew the second ear on, but it wasn't level with the first and so I've ripped it off and will save the pleasure of sewing it back on for another day.  I've also got to sew the blanket on it's back, add the eyes and finally the tale.  I did have a bit of a problem with this pattern but I'll fill you in on that when I post the completed project.

As I really couldn't face hand sewing the ear again but I had some time before we were due at my in-laws for dinner, I started some cutting.

This is a cute fleece hat from Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs.  The fleece was very cheap as I bought a throw from Ikea, for £1.50!  What a great source of fleece. 

This will be a pair of slippers.  It comes from Sew Pretty Homestyle by Tone Finnanger.  I have a few of her books and this is the first time I've attempted a project.  I'm a bit nervous as there are no diagrams or photos, just printed text that I'm not 100% sure I understand.  Ah well, we'll see how it goes.

I've also got something else in progress, but I've forgotten to take a photo so you'll have to wait!  As you can see, I am planning on entering the Craft Book Challenge again this month!

I'll leave you with a card I made for the friend that I crocheted the baby set for.  She had baby Max 2 weeks ago and he's delicious!