Getting to grips with crochet

Over the Christmas break I decided I was going to get to grips with crochet. It's something I have wanted to learn for ages. All the different abbreviations had me mystified. Then I happened to be watching a program showing a new DVD by Wendy Poole, 'The Beginners Guide To Crochet'.
I sent for it…..
It works on the principle that you learn by following the tutorial on the DVD with NO written pattern, it's a revelation! Here are my results so far…
Step 1.

Little open flowers (please bear in mind I had never picked up a crochet hook before this!)

Step 2.

Granny square….by now I've got to grips with chains, double crochet & trebles!
I'm starting to get a bit more confident at the point, so I found a pattern on the internet for a layered flower which I loved. How hard can it be I said! It took me 2 nights to fathom out the increasing for just the central yellow circle! but once I had it I was away.

Now to learn straight edges!!

Sue x

What a Hoot!

My niece asked me if I could make her an owl cushion, similar to one she had seen in a catalogue which had sold out. There were quite a few pieces to lay out and I needed a pattern…..mmmm, what could I use……
baking parchment! It worked a treat

Sue x

Happy New Year! & Resolutions!

Over Christmas I was asked if I would be having any New Years resolutions, to which I replied.."have you got an A4 sheet of paper handy!" Okay, so this is a little unrealistic, but if I start small then hopefully some of the rest will follow. So with this in mind…

1. Take more photos..
2. Remember to download them from the card & not keep filling the card up….
3. Use said photos to keep up to date with blog!

This is just the tip of a very large resolution iceberg, all pretty much with a similar solution….sort out the beginning and then the middle and end will follow.

So here goes…..Day 1 of a New Year…..

Some time ago I was commissioned to make a pair of framed dandelion pictures (wet felted) like this one….

I was working on this in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
When you tell people that you start with some wool fibres which you layer up & then add lots of soapy water etc etc, the uneniciated tend to look a little baffled!
So here is one I was working on earlier… in it's 'raw' state

This is in the 'laying out' stage, just wool fibres (Marino & silk in this case) before it starts to get a bit messy and my kitchen turns into something that resembles a Chinese laundry!

Day 2 tomorrow!!

Sue x

Poppies, poppies everywhere....

I've finally just finished my poppy orders. I'm really pleased with how they turned out. The petals are made with felt I have wet felted to get the changes in colour, although this doesn't show up that well in the photos. The centres are needle felted & the leaves are cut felt that has been needle felted. Then they are finished off with pearl cotton stamens and stitched accents, with a brooch back.

It's only after I have taken these pictures have I realised how hard it is to get 'reds' to look true. They all look a bit tomato red, but in reality they are more of a dark crimson.
Sue x

Here's one I made earlier...

I've been unexpectedly rushed off my feet today one way and another so my plan to work on my felt poppy orders has gone slightly astray! Never mind, they will be tomorrows job...
So here's something I made earlier....well a few weeks ago

This is made using almost all wet felting techniques, with a little needle felting for the 'bubbles' around the top.

It's been a long long time....

It's been over 3 years since I have blogged.... so much has happened.
Without too much detail 2009 was the worse year of my life & a lot of things got put on hold... blogging, photography, baking & crafting.
The baking is back, the crafting is back, the photography is getting there & hey it's time to get back to blogging...
While I've been absent I've discovered textiles! well not discovered them, just got interested in them, you know what I mean! In particular felt. Wet felting, needle felting, cut felt work. If felts involved I'm interested! With maybe a smidgen of freehand machine embroidery and quilting fabrics thrown into the mix as well.

Here are just a few things I've been working on recently...
Off to make felted poppies now

Sue x

Photographic Heaven Part II

I have to be honest and say that I'm not always a fan of the town where I live. Like most places it has its good points and bad points. But, for the Easter weekend that was all forgotten. The sun came out, a French market arrived and you could almost imagine you were somewhere a whole lot more glamourous! Take a look at the sweet stall!