Bee Pincushion

Posted on April 19, 2015 by craftycreeky

Bee PincushionI’m making good progress on my bee pincushion, considering I only started it at the beginning of the month. I’ve now completed all the panels, they look really pretty, I love the colours. The alphabet goes all around the sides, punctuated by a few bee hives and flowers. The bottom has a simple flower design in the middle and a border.

I’ve interfaced the sides of the pincushion with iron on pelmet Vilene, Nathalie from Jardin Privee who designed the pincushion recommends Jeffytex, I’m not sure but I think it sounds like a stiff Vilene.

Pincushion

Each panel was edged as part of the design with a row of back-stitch. To stitch the edges together, the back-stitches are used as a base for an overstitch, you are not meant to catch the linen at all. I’ve never stitched an edge like this but I must admit it gives a lovely neat edge. On the downside I am finding it quite fiddley and time-consuming. With hindsight I should have made my back-stitches a little looser, I tend to stitch with a fairly firm tension, but by the time I’d pushed the needle under the back-stitch, pulled the thread firm, the next back-stitch was disappearing into the linen! I’m getting there! Hopefully this time next week it will be finished 🙂

Pincushion

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Indian Mosaic

Posted on April 18, 2015 by craftycreeky

Indian MosiacI’ve just started a new project that is way out of my comfort zone, and I mean WAY OUT!! I like full instructions, that tell me exactly what to do, that’s why I like cross-stitch, the pattern is there, even the holes are there, I just need patience! So why did I buy a kit for an embroidery at the last Harrogate Show! Continue reading →

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My fabric stash is getting bigger!

Posted on April 18, 2015 by craftycreeky

Pretty batikI am trying very hard to reduce the size of my fabric stash, honest!!! It’s just so hard! They are definitely coming in faster than I can sew them at the moment…I think the problem is that the more I sew, the more I need to visit fabric shops for all the extras, like lining, or interfacing, it’s just too tempting! Continue reading →

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Monday’s Meander Round the Garden

Posted on April 13, 2015 by craftycreeky

Daffodils

PeonyWe’ve had a mixed bag of weather this  week again, but it’s definitely improving! Yesterday was very blustery and wet, yet today is calm and sunny, typical April really! A bit of sunshine and warmth has made a huge difference in the garden with all sorts of perennials making their appearance so I’ve been wandering round checking what has survived the winter, reacquainting myself with what plant is where! Our main flush of daffodils is now out, making a great splash of colour along the top wall. Continue reading →

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Bee Pincushion

Posted on April 12, 2015 by craftycreeky

Bee PincushionI like to have a bit a hand sewing on the go, something I can just pick-up for 10 minutes whilst the tea is cooking (do have to be careful on that one, time just disappears…) or for half an hour before I go to bed. A little cross-stitch project is perfect for this and I’m really enjoying stitching this bee pincushion from Jardin Privee. I started it last week, so it’s growing pretty quickly, which is fortunate as I am entering it in a local show in May and I’ve still got about another 10 things to make… Continue reading →

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Chicken Pick-a-Pocket Purse

Posted on April 11, 2015 by craftycreeky

img_pick-a-pocketlg_1

I saw a gorgeous little bag on ‘Can I have a Whoop Whoop’ this morning, it was over on Sew Cook and Travel and the pattern was called Pick-a-Pocket Purse, as it has six pockets around the sides, craftily made when stitching the handles on. I downloaded the pattern for future use, as you do!

Over on the Monthly Stitch the challenge for April is ‘to put a bird on it’. I went up to my fabric stash, thinking I didn’t have anything with birds on…and spotted my chicken fabric! I keep chickens and I bought it a while ago to make a little bag to take the surplus eggs to work in. I had a coordinating stripe too…you can see where this is leading…the pick-a-pocket purse is just the right size!! Continue reading →

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Sewing Machine Cover

Posted on April 11, 2015 by craftycreeky

Block2-01 Sewing MachineI’ve just finished making myself a sewing machine cover, not because it’s left for long enough to gather much dust, more that I needed a use for a gorgeous quilting design I saw on facebook.

Sewing Machine Cover

The sewing machine design is part of the Snap-Shots Quilt Along, a quilt Block of the Month in aid of St Judes Childrens Research Hospital. The idea is that in exchange for downloading the pattern, you send a donation to the hospital, they’ve raised thousands of pounds already. I’m not following the Quilt Along, but having seen some gorgeous results on facebook, I had to do this one. I chose some pretty turquoise/blue and gold fabrics which have been in my stash for ages, waiting for that special project. Helen gave me a storage box for Christmas covered with a peacock design, so I thought this would co-ordinate in my sewing room! The main fabric for the back and sides is a batik which just happened to coordinate beautifully. Continue reading →

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Dewsbury Fabric Shops

Posted on April 10, 2015 by craftycreeky

yorkshirespoolettes1

On Wednesday I had a fantastic day discovering the fabric shops of Dewsbury and making lots of friends along the way! I’d heard about the fabric shops in Dewsbury a few times, but it’s the other side of Leeds and two trains away…but when Ali from Thimberlina organised a meeting of the Yorkshire Spoolettes there, a bloggers get-together, it was too good an opportunity to miss! Continue reading →

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Monday’s Meander Around the Garden

Posted on April 6, 2015 by craftycreeky

Magnolia StellataI don’t think the weather has realised it’s a bank holiday, it’s a glorious sunny day here in Yorkshire, traditionally a bank holiday means rain!!

A couple of warm sunny days has made all the difference  in the garden, the first few flowers on the magnolia stellate have finally appeared, I love this magnolia, the flowers are so dainty and yet elegant.

Pasque FlowerTulipsI spent a few hours in the garden yesterday and spotted some small tulips were in flower and a pasque flower, perfect timing for Easter. I used to have several of these but they don’t seem to have survived having the patio built, so I’ll have to get a few more!

ClematisI made two main purchases this week for the garden, I built a big obelisk a couple of years ago, I tried growing roses up it which really didn’t work (wrong type of rose!) so I planted a rambler rose a few weeks ago and yesterday I bought a clematis called Mr President, which (hopefully) has a large purple flower, then I also fell for a lovely honeysuckle which has rich orange flowers. Hopefully between them they will make a good centre piece for the ‘ Amber and Amethyst’ garden

HoneysuckleI managed to get OH in the garden with his chain saw yesterday, so we’ve done some hard pruning of buddleia amongst others. One of the doctors at work once found it very amusing that I pruned a buddleia with a chainsaw, but sometimes they just need a really hard prune!

The daffodils in the garden are still coming out; I went for a walk up Farndale during the week, it’s famous for it’s wild daffodils, they’re smaller and daintier than the garden variety, very pretty, especially on mass. We had a cup of tea at Daffy’s Café too!

Daffodils at Farndale

 

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Simply Sew Jackie O Jacket

Posted on April 4, 2015 by craftycreeky

Simply Sew PatternThis week I’ve been busy sewing a variation on the ‘Jackie O’ jacket. I bought the Simply Sewing magazine this month and it was the free pattern, I’ve not used one of their patterns before so I decided to try it out. I adapted it slightly, I wanted it a couple of inches longer and full length sleeves as I’ve never really seen the point of a wool jacket with short sleeves!

Jackie O jacket

I only had a metre of material so it was a bit tight cutting out. I used a length of wool I bought on Goldhawk Road last autumn, it was one of those impulse buys! It’s randomly patterned in purples and green, I love the colours! It feels felted, so I decided I would risk cutting the sleeves out across the fabric, rather than along it, otherwise I wouldn’t have had enough fabric! Continue reading →

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