Before and After

Before :- 

Some really rather ugly shoes from Tesco

After:-

Funky new "Fruit Salad" trainers (motifs adapted from a sampler in CrossStitcher magazine. dip-dye effect laces from EvilBay)

Happy New Year! Last Finish of 2017 and First Finish of 2018 and a Competition

The title says it all really.

And here are the last and first finishes

The kit for the embroidered hoop was a cover gift with Mollie Makes magazine. I realised after I'd started it that I'd accidentally pulled the wrong thread bundle out of my bag o' cover kits but I decided to just go with it at that point, so the colours aren't as intended but I kind of like them.

The snuggly cowl was knitted from a single ball of cake style self striping yarn (Paintbox Chunky Pots in "Making Hay").

As usual last year I kept a running total of the numbers of my crafting finishes, books read and shoes bought throughout 2017 and offered a prize to the nearest guess.

For 2017 the final total was 85 finishes, 55 books and 11 pairs of shoes, making a total of 151, and the best guess with 76,60,12 giving a very close total of 148 was:-

Jo

Drop me an email Jo, and remind me of your address and I'll sort out a little prize for you

I've reset the counters, so if you want to play along for 2018 leave a comment on this post.

QAYG and First Shoes of 2017

Contrary to what I may have previously believed, QAYG is not in fact the back-up computer aboard Red Dwarf.

That would be Queeg

QAYG, on the other hand, stands for quilt as you go, and I found a really good tutorial for making a zippered pouch using the technique at SOTAK Handmade.
Here is the pouch I made, incorporating, amongst other scraps, some vintage Liberty and Laura Ashley fabrics, an old pillowcase, and one of David's old shirts

I also upcycled a rescued section of one of my vintage embroidered cloths which somebody had managed to get tomato sauce on. This is why we can't have nice things. (Yes dear, I am writing about you on my blog).
I made some new quilted table mats as well. So far they are tomato free...

"And the shoes?" I hear you cry.
Check them out. Gotham City Sirens Converse. I am in Shoe Heaven

Monthly Ornament Challenge

Here is my finish for the Monthly Ornament Challenge at Needlecraft Haven. The design is by  Steekjes & Kreisjes van Marijke and is available here.

I thought such a sweetly primitive little design deserved a naive kind of finish so I just made a simple hanging pillow and stitched three slightly rusty jingle bells on the bottom.
The other challenge finishes are in an album here and are well worth a look.
In other news I got some new Converse. Tie dye ones.

Now all we need is a summer so I can wear them