Needlepoint

My mum gave me this needlepoint kit to finish off. She managed to do one side of the border but found it a bit hard going on the eyes as it's very small stitches. For my first try at needle point I don't think it's too bad. Now i just need to find a nice frame for it.

Happy Easter :D

Having a clear out

As I have mentioned in previous posts, work space is not something I have a lot of at the moment.

Recently I have come across lots of crafty little storage ideas, so it was the perfect excuse to have a good clear out and try to organize the chaos.

This heart shaped scissor keep by Wendy over at Handmade Harbour is really cute and increadably easy to make.

 

Made with some old denim and fabric scraps, I put this together in about half an hour. All it needs now is to go through the wash to fray the edges a bit. I don't know how I've lived with out this, It's brilliant. Check out the Handmade Harbour site and the tutorial for this here.

My second project for today has been this quilted fabric box by Tina Craig. I thought it would be perfect for storing all of my cotton reels and bobbins. Again it's incredibly quick and easy to make.

This was my first attempt. Silly me thought I could get away with doing the quilting without a walker foot.
I made a second slightly smaller box in the same blue stripe fabric as the scissor keep (with walker foot) which turned out much neater.

This has now been snatched up by my fiance and is now storing bits n bobs next to the computer. I have a feeling I shall be making a few of these. Check out the tutorial and Tina's blog over at Seaside Stitches.

 

So my sewing table is nice and tidy for once, now I've just got to clear this lot out.

Spring

While the rest of the UK is covered in a few feet of snow, my little corner of North Wales is enjoying glorious sunshine. Even my hyacinths have bloomed and are enjoying the spring weather.

It's been a busy few weeks, I have finished my pay it forward, which i shall get on to in a moment, but most of my time has been spent wedding planning. We have kicked ourselves into gear and finally set a date for spring next year. Exciting! But so much to do! I shall be trawling the internet for blogs and sites on wedding craft ideas over the next few weeks, as i am set on trying to make as much as i can myself. If anyone would like to share any good sites they know, please share in the comments. :D

Now, it's been so long since I last posted that i've have time to make two of these. This is the pay it forward that I mentioned in a previous post. If you want to know more about the idea behind the pay it forwards you can read about it here.

The first of these I used in a white vintage theme frame, but i forgot to take a photo before sending it off in the post to it's new home. This one i decided to make into a cushion cover.

 I have used a simple envelope fold using a dark blue fabric for the back piece. I might try and find some nice buttons to add some decoration to the back.

Pay it forward and Cake!

I decided to have some me time and spend a lazy day in the kitchen. This is one of my favorite recipes, I adore caraway seed cake and it's the easiest thing in the world to make.

  

You will need;

6oz (175g) Margarine or softened butter

6oz (175g) Caster sugar

8oz (250g) Self-raising flour

3 medium eggs

3 tsp of caraway seed
2tbsp milk

I use a loaf tin and parchment liners for this but any cake tin will do, as long as it is buttered and lined to prevent the cake sticking.
Begin by creaming together the butter and sugar. I have always used margarine in my cakes rather than butter, I find it gives a far moister cake and is far easier to use. Always use a good quality brand with a high fat content.
Mix the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture along with the caraway seeds, then slowly add the flour and milk and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 160°C (320°F, gas mark 3) for 45 mins-1 hr. Insert a knife or skewer in to the top of the cake and it should come out clean. If not, return the cake to the oven for a further 5mins and test again.

If you're a big fan of caraway cake, you can crush some of the seeds in a mortar before adding to the mix, but be warned this creates a very intense flavour.









I have also been testing out some new bread recipes, this one for cheese and onion bread can be found here at thepinkwhisk, check out the site if your haven't seen it before there are some amazing recipe ideas.

So now I have a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake I can get on with this,

This is the first of my creative pay it forward pieces for this year, you can visit the facebook page group here.

 A 'Pay It Forward' is a brilliant idea to spread some creative love. Post on your blog about your pay it forward and choose five people from the comments to receive something from yourself at some point this year. This has to be something handmade by you, not shop-bought. It can be anything from a drawing, quilt, knitwear, jewellery, anything you want to make. And in return those five people have to do the same on their blog.

I haven't decided yet whether to turn this into a cushion cover or a tote bag, or even just to frame it as it is.What do you think?
But for now i'm heading over to Handmade Harbour to see what the lovely creative people over there have been getting up to.

Just thought i would share some of my embroidery work.

These are some old sample pieces practicing different stitches, the colours need rethinking but i might use the design in a mothers day present I have planned. Only one week, I'd better get sewing. :)

Nursery Rhymes

I just had to share this with you. This amazing piece of work was given to me by my soon to be mother-in-law. It was made for my fiance by his aunt when he was a baby and is just the most gorgeous thing i have ever seen.
 I can only imagine how much time and effort has gone into this, and considering it's nearly 30 years old it's in amazing condition! The colours and detail are stunning.

Cot Quilt Project

Sadly I haven't been able to do a lot of quilting in the last few months. Mainly due to lack of space, I am currently limited to a small table in my living room which barely fits my sewing machine. :( Hopefully we shall be moving soon and joy of joys I may even have my own craft room.
So for now I am limiting myself to smaller projects. I say small, this one seems to have grown beyond what I had imagined

I have finished putting together the quilt top for a baby cot quilt for a friend and her new little one :)

Made from left over material from various projects. I decided on a simple overlapping brick pattern  as my rotary cutters and boards are packed away somewhere and I really don't trust myself to cut the blocks exactly to size by hand. This way I don't have to worry about matching the seams up.

I am currently working on embroidering some of the panels. This is easier to do after the quilt top is put together as i can fit it onto one of my larger rings.

Once this is done hopefully I can find space to lay it out and start quilting. I shall be quilting this by hand as it's only a small piece. Shall share the final piece with you soon.