FO: Heart Swap Revealed

Way back for Christmas 2010, my sister bought me A Passion For Patchwork by Lise Bergene. It's a fab book with plenty of variety and was my favourite present that year. There's quilts, wall hangings, table runners and various bags. It's one of those books where I could pretty much open it at any page and be happy to make whatever is on that page.

My original plan for the heart swap was to whip up some crocheted heart decorations but my recipient is an excellent knitter so I decided to go down the quilting route. I knew there were a few heart themed projects in the book and eventually settled on a wall hanging. The book had sequins sewn on at each point where the quilting lines crossed but I decided not to add any as I wasn't really keen on them.

So here it is!

It was all made from fabrics from my stash. Most were scraps though the blue batik fabric was a particularly large scrap and I used more of it to back it and make a hanging sleeve.

It didn't take long at all to make. It's hard to estimate how long as I did it in between other things like cooking tea. I'm hoping to make another one to go on our living room wall, which says a lot about how much I liked it cos I don't often make the same pattern twice.

CNA Heart Swap

Well, I mentioned that I made something for a Heart Swap but I can't reveal it just yet. What I can do though is show you what I received. I thought I was going to have to show you this sideways but I managed to find the Facebook settings to rotate it. It's a lovely heart made predominantly from buttons and wire.

I'm planning on hanging it in the conservatory, which is my craft space, for the moment. I'll be putting it on the door to my craft cupboard. What I really want to do is repaint our bedroom and make a quilted wall hanging, then I'll hang this from the bottom of that. In the meantime it can inspire me to get on with that plan!

Wonderful Weekend

Well despite both me and my husband being ill on Friday (and a little ill on Saturday) we managed to have a lovely weekend. We took it easy on Saturday, playing with the kids at home watching the snow falling outside. Feeling much better after lunch on Saturday, I spent the early evening crafting. I'm taking part in a Heart Swap on the CNA forum so I can't show the finished item. There was lots of scope for doing your own thing on this swap; it wasn't a sewing swap or a knitting swap, it was purely a "heart" swap open to your own interpretation. All I will say is I've been fancying making this item for a while now and I'm really pleased with the finished item. There will be a reveal on here when swap partners have been revealed on the forum.

I spent Saturday evening finishing off the Paloma Infinity Scarf. I've been a bit naughty with this...see, the husband bought the yarn for me to knit him a cowl and I apparently became knitting impaired LOL. I managed to start knitting with the tail end twice, then I had interchangeable needle failure (yes, I failed to tighten the points onto the cables well enough and it fell off) so the project got shoved in a bag for a while. Anyway, when I saw the Paloma pattern I decided I'd make a crocheted one instead. I was quite surprised that my husband didn't mind me making the hugely long version and here it is (ignore his somewhat grumpy look...he was trying to be "cool"  hahaha)

Sunday morning was spent making binding for THAT Halloween quilt I abandoned in the run up to Christmas. It's now sewn to the front of the quilt and I just have to hand sew it to the back. Expect a finished pic soon!

In the afternoon I took Erin to see Dick Whittington at the local town hall. I *think* she enjoyed it though she did admit part way through that she was scared because "they're using fireworks inside and you're not allowed fireworks inside". She certainly did a bit of dancing and clapping.

That evening we watched a film and I tasked my lovely husband with rethreading my overlocker (I hate that job). Then I cut up a jumper to finish my ripple cushion in a similar way to the Attic24 method here. Ok, so it's a little lie as it's not totally finished yet, I've to tidy up the ends but I couldn't wait to reveal the pics so I flipped it right way out. I need to get a cushion pad for it as the ones I had were too big.

and I did a row of US single crochet (UK double crochet) to finish off the back nicely. I didn't add buttons mainly because it's not a particularly big cushion.

Hopefully it won't be long until the granny square cushion is finished too. There's just loads of ends to weave in.

So, a very productive weekend and lots of family fun.Wonderful!

Oh and I have to share this. Ages ago I bought a wire with gold polystyrene hearts and some matching pegs to hang our Christmas cards from. Over Christmas Erin made a picture which I pegged up on it on top of the cards and it gave me a great idea. I would leave it up all year round and display pictures by both the kids.

Christmas Chaos!

Well, I've just realised I haven't blogged since the end of October. It has been so busy here.

First off I started my second Open University module in October. The assessment for the first 5 Units consists of a computer marked assignment after each one (i.e. every 2 weeks). I have a longer tutor marked assignment due on Thursday that I really need to get started on.

I've also been busily crafting. I took part in a swap on the We Love Lucy ravelry group. This involved making some bits and buying some more things to send to a partner. I had lots of fun selecting items and was sooooo pleased with the items I received.

It included this handmade fairy, which went on our Christmas tree and will do so every year

Some Rowan handknit cotton. I still haven't decided what to use this for.

and lots of other bits

One of the items I've been finishing off is the neat ripple blanket as featured on the Attic24 blog. I made this from Jarol Heritage DK.

I added a sc broder just to finish it off as I thought the lime green end stripe looked a bit unfinished. It's now on the sofa in the living room awaiting cushions to match. I have crocheted the front of one cushion by using wider ripples and sitting on the back of the sofa are 25 granny squares for the other cushion cover. I need to weave all the ends in (hate that job!) before joining them together. My Boxing Day shopping consisted of me searching for some jumpers I can chop up for the backs of the cushion covers.

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas without some last minute panic crafting and this year it was stockings. I made one for a friend of my husband and enjoyed making it so decided to make one for each of us. I'm really pleased with them but oh my, do they hold a LOT.

I didn't have any stocking hangers so did a mad rush round the shops on Christmas Eve and managed to make do with some plastic hooks for hanging lights on the outside of your house. Once these were hanging up I felt very festive.

and the children were very pleased with them. Better still there was no fighting over which one they wanted!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas!