head bands

The imaginative titles are just coming thick and fast this week!  Yep, you guessed it, more baby-photo props.  My friend always has her little girl (who is the cutest little baby ever) in a headband, so I thought head bands would go down well.  After flicking through Pinterest, I came up with an idea.  

A dusky-pink piece of wool felt, with some cotton lace sewn to the front and finished with three rolled roses and 2 leaves.

I only had enough of the dusky pink felt to make one rose, the others were from another shade, but I think they look OK.  All the tutorials I found on these little buds were for gluing them which I didn't want to do, so I wung it and stitched them.  The top one is definitely the best!  Leaves and roses were attached by hand with embroidery floss.

Still not having a newborn head (or indeed the attached baby, I'm not some kind of baby-head collecting sicko) to hand, I had a bit of a guess at the size and added some elastic - I made a casing from the pink felt.  I don't think it looks too bad, but this will be at the back, out of shot.

The flower for this one was based on this tutorial.  It is made of a couple of strips of grey linen, artfully frayed, a short piece of lace and then I stitched some artificial pearls in the middle.  

I made a headband from grey linen and attached the flower off centre.

Again with the newborn head size guessing, I added some elastic.  I don't like the way I've done this one, but again, it will be at the back, out of shot.  

Does anyone have a newborn they can lend me for a couple of days?

bonnets

You may think that you've travelled back in time about a hundred years with this post!  Remember the baby-photographing friend?  I've been making more props for her.  She's a big fan of vintage, despite my misgivings on the subject, and so vintage it is. What could be more vintage than a bonnet?

I crocheted this one from this free pattern at Moose Mouse Creations.  I used Sirdar Snuggly Tiny Tots which has a lovely shimmer in it, but doesn't feel rough.  I threaded a wide pink satin ribbon through the holes at the front.

Poor Mr Hefalump was pressed into service to model it.  Doesn't he look cute?

It was so quick to crochet (an evening's tv-viewing time), so before I knew it, I found myself crocheting another, using this free pattern at Crochet Latte.  I was pretty sure the first one was far too small.  It was comforting that this one came out the exact same size.  Still, they might be too small.  It's kind of hard to imagine a newborn's head when you don't have one to hand...

Got to go, I feel another bonnet coming on!

wee willie winky

A friend of mine is a newborn photographer.  She started out when she had her children and is really talented.  She's now gone beyond the friends and family stage and is photographing babies of people she doesn't know.  She told me she'd been looking for photo props but they were so expensive.  Enter Wendy.

 

I absolutely love this free pattern at Oodles for Noodles for an elf hat (it also makes me think of Wee Willie Winky, hence the title).  I crocheted it in chunky yarn - Sirdar Click.  It used most of both balls which was a shame as I wanted to do a purple and beige striped one too.  I may go back for more.  It was from Hobbycraft on their 3 for 2 offer.

I made a chunky pom pom with my Prym pompom maker.  I know you can make pompoms with a circle of card, but that little gadget makes life much easier and it wasn't expensive.

I had about 6 false starts with this pattern.  I couldn't get the colour changes right on the stripes without cutting the yarn after each round, that would have made for a monster number of ends to weave in so I persevered and finally got it.  

You'd be right if you thought you'd seen this hat on my blog before, click the link if you want to see my previous version.

Expect more baby props soon...

Thermomorph - something completely different

Good afternoon ladies.  I wanted to get this post written on Tuesday when I had my day off, but I just ran out of time so I'm running a bit late.  I've got something different for you today - ThermoMorph by polymorph.

I was sent this product free of charge by polymorph in exchange for a review, however all views are my own and I was not compensated (apart from the free product).

So what is it?  It's a tub of little white granules of plastic.  The idea is that you heat them up and you can mould them.  When they cool down, they're rock hard, but they're completely reusable so if you don't like what you've made, you can heat them up again and start again.

You can find more information about the product on Thermomorph's website

I got a big pan out of the cupboard and some tongs.  I filled the pan with boiling water and waited for it to cool down to around 60 degrees (C).

Here are the granules in the pan.  They look a bit like rice.  When they start to melt, they turn clear.  The instructions said to take the newly-formed clump out of the pan when they get to that stage and leave it to cool.  So I did as I was told.  I found that within minutes it was setting, so back in the pan it went.

I started by moulding a little bunny.  And this is where I first hit a snag.  If I allowed the thermomorph to cool at all, it started to set and I couldn't do anything with it.  I found the only way to work with it was to leave it in the pan, take out a bit and form it, drop that bit back in the pan and try to keep it away from the main clump, pull another bit off, mould etc etc.  Not the easiest way to work, and a bit painful as it was very hot.  I also found the bunny starting to melt when I was trying to fix him together.  The ears were a lot thinner than that to start with.

I left him to set.  His head fell off.

Time to try something new.  I flattened a piece of Thermomorph and stamped into it.  That worked really well.  It's kind of hard to see in the picture below as the set product is quite glossy, but the stamps imprinted perfectly.  The only problem I had was that I couldn't cut them out, I didn't have time before it started to set to stamp it and then cut round it.

Whilst I was playing, I also made some plain lumps to try some finishing techniques on later.

I cut this one with scissors as it was turning to the set stage.  It was fairly easy to cut, but hard to make it neat.

A few days later it was time to try the finishing techniques.  The tub suggested you could carve it.  I tried with a craft knife, a scraper board tool and a lino cutter.  I couldn't not carve it.  No photos of that as it would be a picture of something that has not been done!  I did manage to stamp it.

One major snag.  I used dye-based ink as I knew pigment ink wouldn't work.  It stamped OK, but even the next day it still wiped off.

3d paint?  Yep, that worked... not sure what I'd do with it though in light of the moulding/carving problems.  OK, last technique...

Acrylic paints.  Yep, they worked a treat.  So, what conclusions have I come to?  I found it very hard to work with and so difficult to know what to do with.  I think I have found a use for it though as when it is set it has a lovely glossy sheen to it and the acrylic paints look lovely.  I'd have to mould very simple shapes, possibly stamp them, and then paint them.  

I don't think it's suitable for children as it was actually very hot when I was moulding it.  The instructions do say to leave it to cool, but when cool it set... bit of a catch 22.

Perhaps I'm missing something?  Do you have any thoughts of what I could have tried with it?

Anyway, if you want to give it a go yourself, here are the details:

Product Name: Thermomorph

Price: £19.95

Size: 500 grams

Material: Polymorph granules

You can buy it here.

noodlehead divided basket

Good morning ladies.  I've got the day off work today and I'm trying to avoid doing any housework, so I'm starting with a blog post, then I'll get on with the thing that needs doing that I took the day off for... more about that later in the week.  Hopefully.  

I didn't tell you about the last meeting of the East Midland's Modern Quilt Guild.  The lovely Moira booked us a church hall in a location halfway between my house and my work.  I set off on the Saturday morning, all smug as I couldn't get lost this week as I usually do.  Then I found myself nearly at work.  I had to turn around and drive back!  I was late anyway as I was waiting for a man to come and fix our dishwasher following the letter we got telling us our dishwasher is likely to blow up and burn the house down.  Great, thanks for that Hotpoint.  When I arrived the other ladies were steaming through their projects.  

Some of us were making Noodlehead's Divided basket.  Moira had suggested the pattern and as I'd been umming and ahhing about buying it anyway, I went for it.  You can buy the pattern here.

Now, I had a little problem.  Looking through my supplies prior to going to the meeting, I didn't seem to have enough fusible fleece.  I grabbed some interfacing, thinking that would do.

It didn't!  How hilarious is that floppy mess??  I chose not to sew the lining inside the outer, but to try and do something with it when I got home.  Strangely for me, I set to the very next day.

Turns out I did have enough fusible fleece, it was just in 4 pieces, but that's not really a problem as it was fused in place, then sewn.  The fleece still wasn't really thick enough.  I think for future baskets I'd want a very firm interfacing and maybe some thicker fleece too.

The outer is some of the Femme FQs I won a while ago, they're linen-cotton mix which I thought would give it more body (clearly not).  The lining is some stripy fabric, I'm pretty sure someone designed it and manufactured it, but I don't know who.

Sewing in the divider was tricky and I struggled with it, but the rest was a breeze... until it came to sewing the lining to the outer.  The lining was a bit too small.  I'm not sure if it was the fault of my crap sewing or my crap cutting!  I fudged it eventually and don't have any huge puckers or tucks.  

It's currently living in the bathroom holding cleaning supplies and the centres of toilet rolls (I give them to the bunnies who love them), but it mocks me every time I go to the loo, so I might have to make another and relegate this one to my craft room where there are dozens of uses for it.

Oh, forgot to mention my handles.  Yeah, they definitely need some interfacing!

The pocket is lined with the lining fabric.

I think I took this photo to show you the hideous pucker in one of the corners that I didn't notice until it was all sewn up.  But maybe my camera just went off, it doesn't look like the kind of photo you'd deliberately take... 

Coming up this week, something completely knew and a some tiny little crochet items.  Maybe the afore-mentioned project that I've taken today off for too. 

A frog in my kitchen...

Well there was a frog in my kitchen.  Gave me the fright of my life.  I actually screamed.  I was home alone as Mr CA was on site.  I'd been out to feed the bunnies, came back in, cooked some pasta, ate it, watched Saving Hope for a bit... went back in the kitchen and saw him!

See him*?  He's in the corner by the dirty unpainted door, next to the massive bag of hay to the right of the tea-towels serving as a doormat since the kitchen fitter decided I didn't want my doormat any more and threw it away.  So I screamed, grabbed my phone for a picture and tried to get him out.  He didn't want to go.  I poked him with a long piece of extrusion left over from the kitchen fit (no idea what it's for, but it works well as a frog-poking tool).  He jumped and I screamed again.  I really am such a wuss.  Took me about 10 minutes to get him out.

Eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that's a sneak peek of the new kitchen... want another?

It'll be a few more weeks before I show you in full - clearly we've not painted, we need to wait for some pipes to be boxed in and another cupboard added first.  And I really must clean the window.

On to crafty stuff, though nothing made by me.  I treated myself.

This cute little bunny brooch is by www.emmiemckee.com, I love the brooch and her customer service is ace.  Go and buy something from her Etsy shop.

I've also had another giveaway win!  Jennifer at Knotted Thread was giving away a copy of the quilt pattern Hemispheres by Megan of City Stitches, The pattern is available for purchase as a PDF on Aria Lane.  It hasn't arrived yet but I'm looking forward to it.  I know I'm not much of a quilter, but I've been quilting all day today!


*I have no idea if it really was male.  I didn't turn it over to look at its "bits".  I also have no idea what either a male or female frog's bits look like.

Red Sashing

It felt like I had all the time in the world to make something from my And Sew On blocks, so it came as a bit of a shock to find out that October is running out!  Last weekend I had a few hours to spare so set to sashing my blocks.  I have a plan for this wall hanging (I'm putting all nine blocks in one hanging) so the hard part was done.  I'm actually kidding myself there, especially as the layout I've planned is going to involve 160 x 2.5x2.5 inch blocks!

The plan was to sash the blocks in white.  I soon changed that plan when I saw the leftovers of some solid red fabric I had, I think it's from IKEA.  The strips were cut at 2.5", but I think I'm going to cut them down and make them thinner.  I started by squaring all my blocks which wasn't as bad a job as I thought.

I think they were 10.5 inches square unfinished.  I had just enough of the fabric left, sashed all the blocks and started cutting my squares.  And that's as far as I got.  I've got two weekends left to work on this, but there'll be some kitchen painting this weekend and a trip to the tip to get rid of all the stuff the kitchen fitter put outside our house.  I'm so angry with him.  He led me to believe he would take it away, so I didn't say anything about him leaving it outside.  Now he says it's my job, and it's been raining non-stop for days so it's all a muddy, wet, pulpy mess.  Add to that that my car is a Mini!  Not sure how it's going to work out...

I hope to have some kitchen photos to show you next week, though minus the curtains as they still aren't done!

Related posts

block 1 - Measure Twice
block 2 - disaster
block 2 - You little ripper

block 3 - Spoolin' Around
block 4 - Snip It Real Good
block 5 - All About The Iron
block 6 - A Stitch in Time
Block 7 - Rotary Cutter
Block 8 - I Like Big Stash

Block 9 - Sewing Sanctuary

What I'm working on

Is this.

It's called Oast Houses and is another one in the Heritage series, following on from the tram one I did back in April.  I'm aiming for a set of 3 for my dad.  

I meant to take photos each night to show the progression and how slow it is, but I forgot.  Bet you're all gutted.

Thanks for all the messages of support over the last week, it really means a lot to me.  Depression makes you feel very isolated and I never know whether I should write about it here or not.  I'm glad I did, you made me feel very much included, so thank you all.

dishcloths

I might be back...  It still remains to be seen, but I do have something to show you so I'll start there and see how it goes.

I saw some ingenious dishcloths on Apple Blossom Dreams.  I've got a vase of cotton yarn that got a bit dusty during the whole house falling down episode.  What better use for it that something that will be washed often?

The free tutorial is easy and quick and I love the effect from crocheting into the front post only.  I did a row of sc round the edge to neaten it up.

The round hole is supposed to loop over the tap to keep it in easy reach.  It doesn't fit over my tap but they do fit over the tap handle-thing.

As you see, we now have a sink and a tap, but no tiles yet.  We had a bit of an issue with the kitchen fitter so the kitchen is still not done...  we're now on month 6.

Eagle eyed viewers will have noticed the dishcloth in the photo above is not the same one...

That's because I made another 2.  The pattern calls for a picot edge.  I couldn't get it right on the purple one so went for a round of scs.  I had another go on the blue one and whilst I'm not convinced it's a picot edging, it is kind of fancy.

Here they all are laid out on the hob.  Yep, we have a hob.  And an oven.  What we do not have is worksurfaces to prepare food on... you people with a fully-functioning kitchen have no idea how luck you are!

An explanation

I haven't replied to your emails, I know.  I've probably not left you any blog comments.  I've got nothing to post about for a few days either.  You probably think I've fallen down a big black hole.


I have.


Back soon, meds permitting. 

somebody take the Kumihimo disk off me...

Yes, yes, I know, but it's fun!  And so satisfyingly quick...

This is a 12-strand spiral using purple and black 1mm rattail.  I followed the tutorial over at Dream A Little Bigger.

Next I wanted a bracelet that went round my wrist twice.  Again using 1mm rattail, this time in red, silver and white.  You can't tell the white and silver apart, not a good colour choice.  I used the colour placement tutorial at Dream A Little Bigger for this one.

Finally, I made a black and silver 1mm rattail braid that will go round my wrist 3 times.  I made all these braids last week and just can't be arsed to glue the end caps on.  It's a little job, doesn't take long... why am I so lazy?

Splash mat

I haven't shown you a kitchen update for a while and that's because it's nearly done!  We now have a working sink, fridge-freezer, oven and hob (possibly stove in North Americanish?) !  So exciting.  We are still waiting for one more worktop to be fitted and then it all needs tiling which is when I will show you, don't want to ruin the surprise. 

It wasn't until we got to this stage that I realised I hadn't made all the stuff I wanted to make for the new kitchen.  During the building work and prior to that, I was too depressed to even think about it.  But now I can and so I'm sewing up a storm.  I really hope to have lots of projects to show you for our new kitchen over the coming weeks.  

First up was the curtains.  Except I haven't made them yet.  Making curtains is boring.  So first up became a splash mat to use in front of the sink.  Can't have that lovely new floor (that hasn't even been chosen and bought, let alone laid yet!) getting wet. I knew exactly what I wanted to use.  Nancy very kindly sent me two mini charm packs of Marmalade yonks ago and I was waiting for the right project.  This was it. I decided to go for alternate patterned and white squares, all starting at 2.5" and finishing at 2".  The picture above shows how I kept track of what went where whilst chain piecing.

I didn't go random, I went for diagonal lines of each colour.  

I then straight line quilted it.  I used white thread to go diagonally through all the white squares, then used matching thread for each colour diagonal.  I kept white in the bobbin as the back is white.

I don't think my points were too bad, quite a lot of them match.

Not all of them of course!

The back is an old bath towel.  I didn't want to use a new one as they shrink and I don't want this ruined when I wash it, which I will have to do often as it is white!  I was worried that the coloured side of the bath towel would show through the patchwork, but it doesn't so I'm happy!

1 kitchen project down, 96 more to go (more or less)... I feel a list coming on...