Gifted Gorgeousness - May

It's time for Gifted Gorgeousness, the monthly Blog Hop organised by Jo where we show the things we've made as, received as, or can otherwise shoehorn into the category of gifts.
Quite a few sewing projects for my GG post this month. Lets see...
I made the girls a top each from some funky tattoo print jersey

I made this top for Eloise for her Birthday

and also this dress

Loki approves

The sharp eyed among will notice that all the pictures are of Naomi, this is because Eloise lives some distance away, so her makes have had to be posted to her.
This was a cover kit with Mollie Makes magazine, so that counts as a gift right?

And I finished off the blackbird applique I showed a couple of posts back. The design/kit was from last year's Spring Craftpod, which was a gift from me to me :)

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop

Hello, Happy Easter, and welcome to my post for Jo's Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop. 
We were asked to show a piece of Easter/Spring stitching. I planned to show the Blackbird applique piece from last year's Spring Craftpod, but as you can see it isn't finished!

 

Instead here is an Easter Banner I made a few years ago

Now the bit you are really here for. Your letter is

and your next stop is

 Here

Let The People Choose - Penguins

Let The People Choose is a SAL organised by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, with a different theme each month. This month it's penguins! It can't have escaped your notice that I am fond of penguins. I have a lot of penguin related crafting to show.
Here we go:-

This New Year Penguin is a free design from Aliolka

I made this cuddly felt penguin from a kit from House of Zandra

Here is a silk scarf I block printed

and a little knitted penguin - pattern in 20 to Knit - Tiny Christmas Toys

bought the whole book for that pattern

A penguin Christmas Ornament (design by Cthulu Crochet)

A penguin in a Jayne Cobb hat!

Penguin walks down the street in that hat, you know he's not afraid of anything.

and this is a mixed stitch penguin sampler I designed for Stitch Magazine, many years ago.

And finally, not penguin related, but here is the February page from the subversive calendar the girls designed for me

Online Advent Calendar Blog Hop Day 1

Hello and welcome to Day 1 of this year's Advent Calendar Blog Hop. For the list of participating blogs please see the Advent Calendar page on Jo's blog.

I thought you might like to see this embroidery that I finished a couple of days ago. The design came as a printed outline on fabric from Anne Brooke (H-Anne Made) here. Such a pretty design and  I love that you can use your own threads and stitches and make it completely unique to you. As you can see I made mine look like a Winter Robin and it's very different from the one on Anne's website

.
For the second part of the Advent Blog Hop Jo has asked us to talk about our favourite Christmas film. Well I don't know about anyone else but Christmas doesn't start properly in our house until we've sat down with some Gluhwein and watched Love Actually.
There are so many priceless moments in that film that it is hard to choose a favourite to share with you, but here is Billy Mack singing "Christmas Is All Around"

So if you really love Christmas, come on and let it snow

Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Easter Treasure Hunt Blog Hop. For the introduction to this Blog Hop please go to Jo's Blog - Serendipitous Stitching

This little pincushion - which I stitched a couple of days ago, when we had no power all day (due to them working on cutting down trees that were interfering with the power lines) and I couldn't do any machine sewing - is one of the projects from the Spring Craftpod, so I thought it fit the theme nicely.
Now the reason you are here. Your letter is

and your next stop is

http://aimetu-clare.blogspot.co.uk/

Happy Easter!

Craftpod Bonus Project

Cheap pair of chain store low-rise embroidered using one of the designs from the Craftpod and some of the spare thread, then matching laces swapped in.

My First Craftpod

You may have heard of Craftpod, the quarterly craft subscription box. I decided to give it a try, and a few weeks ago the Spring box plopped through my letterbox. I was thrilled with it. Not only did it contain all the materials and instructions for two gorgeous projects, but also a selection of stationery with the prettiest spring botanical illustration and a ginger and lemon tea-bag so I could have a nice cuppa while I worked on my embroidery.
I didn't photograph the contents unfortunately but you can see previous boxes here which will give you an idea.
The two projects were a drawstring linen bag.

How glorious is that mustard yellow linen? The lining fabric was my own addition, just an oddment I had which happened to be the perfect colour.
And an embroidery hoop with a spring botanical theme.

Again the buttons and bird charm were my additions, because when did I ever do anything the way it was designed?
So, there you have it. My first ever Craftpod. Looking forward to the summer one now.

Gifted Gorgeousness for April

It's time for Gifted Gorgeousness - the blog hop where we share our gift related craft news - for more details see Jo's blog, Serendipitous Stitching
I've got a variety of things to show this month. First the Easter Exchange from Needlecraft Haven.
I received this beautiful ornament and delicious Easter goodies from Deb

and sent this ornament to Julie

The design was adapted from a larger sampler in Cross Stitcher magazine and I used the same lollipop finish as I did for the ornament in the previous post.
Next up a little baby jumper I knitted as my friend is expecting her first grandchild. The pattern and wool are by Sirdar.

An Italian Cross Stitch Magazine that Naomi sent for me

And finally, a geeky little embroidery hoop I stitched for Eloise, based on one of her favourite films.

Extra blog bonus points for anyone who knows what the film is.

NSFW Game of Thrones Inspired Sampler

In the most recent issue of Mollie Makes magazine there was a design for an embroidered floral banner.
I liked the floral part, wasn't so keen on the chirpy message, and Naomi had been after me to stitch her a snarky sampler using a quote from Game of Thrones.
So here it is. A very NSFW sampler

I've censored the photo for those of a sensitive disposition.
If you watch Game of Thrones a) you're unlikely to be shocked by four letter words and b) you already know what it says.
If you don't, lets just pretend it says "stupid". Yeah, that's what it says...

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.

Carry On My Wayward Son - The Sofa Edit

Warning:  This is not  going to mean a lot to you if you don't watch Supernatural

Carry On My Wayward Son

I saw on Pinterest where someone had embroidered a Supernatural anti-possession symbol onto flannel and mounted it in a hoop. I liked the idea of the embroidery but I'm not keen on the whole hoop-art thing so I adapted the idea, making a nine-patch square out of upcycled jeans and flannel (very Sam and Dean I thought), and here is the result
The Winchester Cushion.

This one is for Eloise, but I may make another.

Gifted Gorgeousness September

Not much to show this month for Gifted Gorgeousness - the blog hop organised by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, where we show our gift related projects - as Summer is our busiest time of year and so I don't get as much time for stitching and crafting as I would like. There is one thing though.
About a year ago I bought a fat quarter on a whim because I fell in love with the gorgeous magpie print, and in the depths of the stash pile it has languished ever since. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I spotted a tutorial on Flamingo Toes, for an embroidered zip pouch with the legend "need more shiny things".
Could anything be more perfect to showcase my wonderful magpie fabric?
To pick out the colours of the fabric I did the embroidery on black using red Kreinik #4 braid (because - shiny), and I made the print section much deeper to show off more of the magpies.
So there you have it, a little zip pouch for Naomi to keep her jewellery in.

Summer Sewing

A couple of the summer sewing projects I've been working on.

A playsuit for Naomi, using New Look 6291 in Liberty Tana lawn

This second picture was Naomi's idea to show how easy it is to move in.

A tunic for me. This is Simplicity 8141 using a poly-elastane jersey fabric.

rear view to show back detail (note to self - should have worn a different bra).

 

I love how this came out and I'm planning to make a plain coloured one as well. Full reviews for both patterns on PatternReview.com here

And just for fun - and because I bought these polka dot bag handles from EvilBay thinking they were big enough for a proper tote bag and had to think of something else to do with them when I saw how tiny they were - I embroidered some flowers on the leg of a worn out pair of jeans and made a Useful Bag For Keeping Things In.

Gifted Gorgeousness - April

Gifted Gorgeousness, a SAL organised by Jo of Serendipitous Stitching, where once a month, on the 15th (Oops. A day late!), we show off any stitching that is either a gift or made from gifted materials.

This month I was lucky enough to win a giveaway from Lynn B at Happiness is Cross Stitching ~ April Showers, one of her adorable Calender Cats, seen here being "demonstrated" by my beautiful assistant Jinx.

Lynn also sent me some matching gift tags and mini fabric labels, but Jinx wasn't prepared to do any more demonstrating.
You just can't get the staff these days...

And here is a gift I made for Eloise. The chart came from here . You can tell who it is right? David couldn't see it even when I told him.
I made him up as a free standing piece following instructions from a book by Judy Odell, which I don't think is available any more. He is weighted (with rice) so that Eloise can use him as a doorstop or a bookend or a paperweight or a cosh or whatever

And finally I made this little (he's about 4" tall) chap from a cover kit on Mollie Makes. That totally counts right?
Check out Jo's blog here for the other posts in the SAL

Last Finish of 2014, a Gift and a wish

I've had this kit for ages and finally got round to having a go at it this week. The patchwork piece was ready made for you to add the silk ribbon embroidery. Backed with a piece of gold silk dupion and made up into a tiny pillow (or a slightly oversized pincushion depending on how you look at it)

It's opening day for the Needlecraft Haven Winter Exchange, and I was lucky enough to receive this gorgeous pincushion from Mary. The design is "A Spot of Winter" by The Drawn Thread

Thank you Mary. I love it.

And here is the one I sent. Funny how I chose to make a pincushion finish too. The chart for the one I stitched is available here

Finally I'd just like to wish you all a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year

There was a little girl and she had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead

When she was good she was very very good

But when she was bad she was horrid

I used to tell that nursery rhyme to Naomi all the time when she was little because she was a very curly girl, and I was reminded of it when I saw a dear little red girl embroidery here on Cherise's blog earlier this year, and determined to make my own version. Here she is:-

Her dress is made from a piece of vintage fabric from the wonderful Rag Rescue trimmed with a bit of old lace. I mounted her in an embroidery hoop and tied a bit more of the lace and some ribbon (from a Christmas cracker!) on the top. I've had to hang her in my study because the rest of the family say she is too twee. I like to think she is an ironic post-modern take on tweeness...

In other news it was the village show this weekend. Here a few snaps of the wonderful flowers and vegetables on display. Mostly not grown by me I have to admit, though some of the rhubarb is mine. Any fool can grow rhubarb, the trick is stopping it from taking over half the garden.

And part of the floral art display

And here is my attempt at a floral arrangement incorporating sea shells.

I do have rather a lot of sea shells lying about the place...