Crafted Christmas Pressies - Part 2

Hi again,

I made a garland for my husband. I put 13 items on it for 13 years together. I did a mix of items including 3  crochet stockings, 3 felt gingerbread men, 2 crochet snowflakes, 1 felt candy cane, 1 felt bell, 1 felt star and 2 felt snowmen. The felt items were cut from squares of felt and not felted using a felting needle. Time would not have allowed for that detail.

In the end I had ran out of time. I had planned to stitch the snowflakes onto some red felt cut in a circle but it was Christmas Eve and my husband phoned to say he was just leaving work so I just attached them. Even though they're starched they're still floppy so i'll take them down and fix that part.

Garland

The crochet stockings were made using Angie's Le Monde de Sucrettes Little Christmas Socks pattern. This is a brilliant pattern and very easy to follow. Angies blog is truly inspirational and is a must follow blog.

All the felt items were edged in a blanket stitch using embroidery thread. I used a variety of buttons and beads to decorate the items.

The crochet snowflakes were made using the snowflake how to pattern from www.marthastewart.com. The patterns I used were pattern 1 and 2.

I used the second snowflake previously in a cushion and the picture of that snowflake is clearer so i'm showing you that one instead.

I used a gold braided rope that I purchased in a curtain shop as the garland rope. I tied each item to the rope with a basic knot. I enjoyed making this garland and it does look nice. If I was to make it again I'd use a thinner thread for the blanket stitch, it looks slightly amateurish. Other than that though I'm happy with the results.

More projects to follow.

Until next time,

Happy Crocheting, x

Crafted Christmas Pressies

Hi Everyone,

Hope you've all had a lovely Christmas. We had a perfect Christmas. My mom, granny and granddad were here with us. It made Ben's first Christmas very special indeed.

This year I was very over ambitious with the amount of projects I decided to do for Christmas and some did not get completed in time.

I made a stocking for Ben. I used red felt for the stocking and lined it with a Christmassy fabric with some gold ric rac around the top. I used some gold piping for around the seams. I also sewed in a little pocket on the inside with little note in it saying it was made for him on his 1st Christmas for Ben to read someday. I didn't have a pattern so I made it up as a went along with the result that I made some extra work for myself in spots. Still I was happy with the results.

Stocking

Pocket inside

Stocking top and lining fabric

I'll post the other projects as I upload some pictures. 

Until next time,

Happy Crafting, x

Crocheting Christmas

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all ready for Christmas and that all your projects are nearing completion. Things here are hectic. I've been trying to get as much finished as possible. Some projects I can't speak about in case curious eyes are watching my blog and the surprise is spoiled. Other gifts however are safe to show you.

The cover for this photo album was an impromptu present. My husband got his mother a photo album and filled it with photos of our son. The cover was very plain so he asked could I crochet a cover for it. I was surprised but of course I could and would oblige. I did estimate an hour to complete but given that i was making up a pattern as I went it took closer to 3 hours. Still I was happy with the results. Here is the completed item.

Cover flat

Front Cover

Side of Album

Back Cover

I was rushing to get the cover finished because my husband was visiting his family and won't see them again until after New Year. Because of that I didn't take as many photos as I should have. Basically though I crocheted in rows of shells, trebles and doubles until the swatch was long enough to cover the album. The ends were folded over the cover and stitched so it stayed on the cover. I did a row of dc around all four sides of the swatch to neaten the edges. I added a picot on the short sides that are inside the front and back cover.

I'll write up what I did and post it as a pattern in case anyone wants to do something similar. It may take a few days though because I still have some pressies to finish. I'll post more projects as I complete them.

Till next time,

Happy Crocheting, x

Thank You - Liebster Blog Award

Hi Everyone,

I just received some super exciting news, I was nominated for the Liebster Blogger Award by Shelley at All4MeggyMoo. I am over the moon and it really means so so much to me. Thank you Shelley, this was a lovely nod of approval and I am honored that you enjoy visiting my blog.

When I began this blog I worried that I wouldn't have enough things to blog about. That was not the case. I've a list a mile long and not enough hours in the day to write about everything. What I didn't anticipate though was that through blogging I would become part of an online group of friends. It's really great to get to know people with similar interests that can share ideas and offer words of praise and encouragement. 

I have found so many fabulous blogs which I really enjoy visiting. When I saw that I could nominate 5 blogs I love to visit, I was in a real dilemma. How can I pick just 5, it's a very difficult decision. On my blog there is a full list of my favourite blogs and besides the following 5 brilliant bloggers there are some more on this list that I also love.

So, without further ado, here are my 5 favourite blogs to visit :)

1. Sew On and Sew On

2. Bella Bee and Me

3. Lori Makes

4. Vintage Homespun

5. Faith

I hope you get the chance to check out these blogs, they are very talented people sharing their world with us.

Thank you for stopping by :)

Happy Crocheting & Crafting, x

Christmas decorating :)

Hi Everyone,

After much dusting and trips to the attic the decorations are finally up. Our Christmas lights are getting old so this year we have spent hours replacing bulbs. I think though that we must finally say goodbye to our snowball lights in the mantelpiece garland. They did serve us well though so i'm definitely not complaining.

This is our tree. Its usually in the corner but we put up a new bookcase so its been moved over to the window.

Our Christmas Tree

This year we've had some additions to the decorations. A lovely My First Christmas 2011 bauble from Ben's uncle and auntie. I also won a give away on a fantastic blog by Noelle, Its called Sew On and Sew On. She makes the most beautiful pieces. I entered her Christmas House giveaway and was so excited to win. She also sent me a beautiful Felt Robin decoration.

First Christmas Bauble

Christmas House

Felt Robin

Last year I needle felted a Santa Clause and made a cushion with some leftover fabric. I also crocheted some snowflakes.

Needle felted Santa

Christmas Cushion

Snowflakes

Well that's our decorating. We're very lucky to have a lovely cosy home with lots of nice decorations for the holidays. I hope everyone's decorating and Christmas preparations are going well. I'm busy making some more Christmas presents but I can't say anything about them incase the intended recipients see this post.

I must go now and pack up my little man for his hospital check up. Its very stormy here today and its started to snow. Hopefully it'll be a quick visit and we'll be back home and tucked up before we know it.

Until next time,

Happy Crocheting, x

The Christening gown - Finally :)

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all well. I am on a break from Tuesday Tallies while I wait for yarn so I am finally getting around to posting about the christening gown I made for my son. I only have one photo so far, I scanned it in to the computer but the quality isn't the best, I'm sorry I don't have better ones to show.

The pattern I started with was Simplicity No 4766 pattern C. I adapted it slightly by removing the trims and lace and added the crochet trims instead. I used an off white bridal satin from Hickeys and a matching off white chiffon for over the skirt also purchased in Hickeys.

So here is the dress, ooops I mean gown/robe ;)

Christening gown back

Christening gown front

As you can see on the front it is slightly puckered on one side. At this point it was nearing 3am the night before the christening, I had mangled thread hanging everywhere, I had smashed 4 machine needles and I couldn't see straight. I let the pucker defeat me. It may have won the battle but not the war, I will fix it.

Here is a close up of the back and the trims. I made up the trims myself because I thought that searching internet and pattern books would side track me way too much and result in another pile of to do projects. They're crocheted using a 1mm hook and Aida 20 crochet cotton in Cream. The stitches are just chains, doubles, trebles and picots. If anyone is likes them and thinks they would like to use them just email me and i'll send you what I did and the measurements of the finished trims.

Back close up

Trims

Bodice Trim

Neck Trim

Sleeve Trim

I'm very proud of it even with the little flaws. I'm going to embroider his name and date of christening on the lining and if anyone else uses it or if someday Ben's children want to use it then they can embroider their names too. Ben also wore a beautiful crochet shawl that was crocheted by his great granny and was worn by his dad, his uncle and his auntie on their baptisms.

Hope everyone is getting on well with their Christmas projects and their One a Day.

Until next time,

Happy Crocheting, x