Crochet Blueberries

I have been (very slowly!) building up a collection of crochet play fruit for my children.

My latest offerings are two little blueberries!

I used this pattern/tutorial - but I did sc instead of hdc (US terms) in the final round so that the sticky-up bits (technical term!) weren't quite so sticky-up!

Above you can see them with the rest of the fruit and veg I have crocheted.  I think they look great together!

You can see details on the other items at the links below:

Carrot

Strawberry

Radish

Now to decide on the next fruit or veg item to make!  It might take me a year!

Makebox Velvet Needle-Felted Mushroom Decorations

My first make of 2024 are these gorgeous velvet mushrooms from a Makebox kit.  (I can't actually see the kit on their website anymore - I've had it about a year.)

First of all you needle felt the mushroom shape - as you can see below:

Then you cover it with a circle of sumptuous stretch velvety material!

The kit said to add french knots on the top in white embroidery thread - but I decided to sew beads that I already had to the top, which I'm really pleased with!

I have since threaded some cotton through the top to hang these, as they are designed to be decorations for the Christmas tree.  For now, however, they are hanging in my craft-room looking delightful!

I'm so pleased with them - I really love them!

Creation Consolidation - 2023!

I'm finally getting round to doing my usual post, collating my makes from the year before!  As is becoming a bit of a theme in recent years, I didn't make that much... but here we go!

Click the headings or the images to be taken to the relevant blog posts...

Nordic Gnome - Girl

Nordic Gnome - Boy

Cricut Names on Kids' Chairs

Crochet Radish

Reusable Fabric Christmas Crackers

Felt Candy Cane Christmas Tree Decoration

Air Dry Clay Christmas Tree Decorations

Beaded Snowflake

More creations than last year - so fingers crossed I can improve on that again this year!  Interesting that the vast majority of things I've made have been Christmas related - the festive season must make my creative juices flow!

If you are interested, here are my consolidation posts from previous years:

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017
2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

I didn't do a round-up for years before that, but you can see other finished items at the below links:

Crochet

Knitting

Sewing

Here's to a crafty 2024!

Beaded Snowflake

I didn't expect to finish anything else this year, but I'm sneaking in with one last post of 2023!

My lovely friend Anna gave me a kit for a beaded snowflake for Christmas, from Katie Aldred Designs.

Usually it takes me forever to get anything made these days - but I made this up in record time!

The kit comes with the snowflake shape already made out of sturdy metal wire.  You then have bags of beads to arrange onto the wires.  Once finished, you turn the ends of the wires over with round nose pliers to keep the beads on.

It was a very satisfying make and looks so pretty!

It was quite hard to capture on the tree, but the above gives the idea!

Happy New Year for tomorrow!  We will not be staying up for midnight tonight - we have two small children who wake us up at night and get up early in the morning, so we need every wink of sleep we can get!

I'm hoping that 2024 will be a more creative year, with more makes to post about.  Although I've ended this year well with a flurry of creations!

Air Dry Clay Christmas Tree Ornaments

I made some Christmas biscuits with the kids the other week, and I used a couple of the Christmas cutters to try cutting out shapes from air dry clay.  The clay I used was from a Sculpd kit.

I made holes in the top of each and let them dry, then painted them with white acrylic paint (that came with the clay).

I then decorated them with Posca pens and varnished with the varnish that came with the clay.  I did all this over a couple of weeks, as I let things dry and also fitted it in around general hectic life!

I made a snowman...

And a Christmas tree...

I'm really pleased with them - I think they look really cute!

The handmade decorations on my Christmas tree are really increasing in number!

Felt Candy Cane Christmas Tree Decoration

If you have been following for a while, you'll know I started a tradition in 2018 of making a felt Christmas tree decoration every year.

This year I have made a candy cane!

As always, I embroidered the year on the back.

This year I used a brilliant free pattern by What a Curly Life.  I omitted the holly, as I had a simple candy cane in mind.  I also didn't use whip stitch - instead using running stitch to sew the red stripes on, and blanket stitch around the candy cane.  This was just to tie in with how I'd made the rest of my decorations.

Here they all are together!

You can see my posts on the other decorations as follows... 2018 Star, 2019 Mouse in Stocking, 2020 Pudding, 2021 Penguin, 2022 Gingerbread Man.

They are starting to become the theme of the Christmas tree now there are so many of them!

Merry Christmas!

Crochet Radish

 I suddenly realised today that I didn't share the radish I crocheted in the summer!

I used scraps of cotton yarn I had and a pattern from this ebook.  It is the third crochet fruit/vegetable I have made from that book.  Here they all are together!

I really need to make more - my daughter keeps requesting a blueberry!  I'm not sure there are any in that book - I'll have to check!

Fabric Reusable Crackers

I'm so pleased with this creation!  I was inspired by Happy Crackers to make my own versions!

I bought some cardboard tube containers with lids to fill with cracker goodies and form the middle of the crackers.

I then made lined fabric rectangles with ribbon trims to wrap around the crackers.

And tied them all with big thick bows!

The measurements I used were:

Lining and Main Fabric - 45cm long x 27cm wide.

You could go a bit wider, but I was limited by the size of the fabric I had.  After sewing on the ribbon trim, I sewed the lining and main fabric together (right sides together) with a half inch seam allowance at the top and bottom, and a 1cm seam allowance down the sides (to get a bit more width out of the fabric).  (Yes, switching wildly between imperial and metric measurements!!)  I left a gap for turning the right way round, pressed and sewed the gap by hand.

Ribbons - 1cm and 2.5cm satin ribbons.

I sewed one length of 1cm ribbon 1 inch down from the top then left a 0.5cm gap then sewed another length of 1cm ribbon.  I did this at the top and the bottom on the main fabric, before I sewed it to the lining.

I used the 2.5cm ribbon to tie bows at the top and bottom, once the fabric rectangle was wrapped around the inner tube container.  (I think my ribbon was 85cm long for the bows - I don't want to untie them to check!)

Inside I have put cracker jokes I printed out, small gifts, a chocolate and a party popper!  You open the cracker by unwrapping rather than pulling, so you can't use a cracker snap.  Therefore the party poppers provide the bang element!

I hope you like them - I love them!  Let me know what you think!

Merry Christmas!

Cricut Names for Kids' Chairs

Hi!  Well, it's certainly been longer than I planned, as my last post was in January!

Sorry for the delay in posting again - as I keep saying, life with two small children doesn't leave much time for crafting - especially actually finishing anything!

But back in March (it's taken me this long to post about it!) I did use my Cricut Joy to make some sparkly names to go on my children's little chairs...

The chairs were from Ikea - the Sundvik.  I used Cricut Joy Permanent Smart Shimmr Vinyl in Pink...

... and light blue...

The font I used was Bauhaus 93.

They were well received by the children - especially Emily who recognises her name and loves a bit of shimmer/sparkle!  (They're more shimmery in real life than they show here.)

I hope to not leave it so long before my next post!

Another Nordic Gnome

 Hi!  If you saw the little Nordic Gnome I made in this post... you might know she was waiting for a little friend.  Here he is!

He was also part of the same kit.  I'm glad I have finally completed both gnomes, as I've had the kit a few years.  They are very cute and will be nice to take out each Christmas.  If I get round to putting them away... I want to enjoy them for a bit first!

What do you think?  A cute little pair?!

My Current WIPs - January 2023

I really want to try to finish some WIPs (works in progress) that have been languishing for quite some time!  There seem to be so many projects I start and never finish.

Here they all are - unless I've forgotten some!

The first three I posted about in a previou WIP post in January 2020 - three years ago!  These are the three that are still outstanding from that post - really should finish them!!  You can read my comments about them in that post.

Monsoon Stole

Beach Hut Scissor Keep

Crochet Face Pads

Now onto ones started since that last WIP blog post...

Natica Cowl

You read more here.  I love this yarn and pattern, so need to get going with this again!

Lion Crochet Cushion

I started this not long before Max was born.  It is supposed to be a lion cushion for his bedroom.  I didn't have too much of a plan, but I would like to get it finished, as I think it could be quite cute!

Quilt

This one is quite exciting!  I bought a new sewing machine last March and started sewing a quilt!  I had a jelly roll of strips of coordinating fabric, and I started sewing them together in groups of three.  I did the five you can see below, then stopped.  It's hard to get the time with the children, but I really love the patterns and colours and would be so pleased to get this finished!

Notions Pouch

I bought the pattern to make this notions pouch by Indigo Bird Design and cut out my fabric ready to go - I just need to find time to sew it up!  Below are my fabric choices...

Pink Knitted Chartres Cardigan

Another exciting one - I've started knitting the Chartres Cardigan by Ami Lowden.  This will be my first knitted item of clothing, if I ever finish it!  I really want to wear it, so need to get a move on!

Lots of fun lovely projects!  I really hope to get some of these finished this year.  I will be sure to post about them when/if I do!

Nordic Gnome

 I am already doing better than this time last year, and have actually completed something already!

This cute little Nordic Gnome was from a kit my friend Anna gave me for Christmas a few years ago.  I'm so pleased to have finally made her!

The kit comes with a little man-friend whom I have yet to make... I must get on with that and finish the pair.  I'll be sure to update you if/when I do!

Creation Consolidation - 2022!

Happy New Year - let's hope 2023 is a good one!

Well, 2022 was the year with the least crafting I've done since starting my blog over a decade ago!  I really haven't done very well at managing two children, working part-time and fitting in crafting - I really hope to change that this year!

But here is what I did make... click the headings or the pictures to be taken to the relevant posts...

Cake Toppers using the Cricut Joy

Crochet Penguin

Felt Gingerbread Man Christmas Tree Decoration

Superhero Cape

I am really going to try to do more crafting (and blogging about it) this year.  As well as enjoying creating, it makes me feel productive and like I've achieved something.  I really need to fit it in somehow!

If you are interested, here are my consolidation posts from previous years:

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017
2018

2019

2020

2021

I didn't do a round-up for years before that, but you can see other finished items at the below links:

Crochet

Knitting

Sewing

Wishing you all the best for 2023!

Superhero Cape with Cricut Joy

Hello!  My last post of the year, with something that I made Emily for Christmas!  She had been using an old muslin as a superhero cape, so I decided to make her a nice one!

It was made using things I already had in stash, which was satisfying.  I used two pink cotton fat quarters - one for the front and one to line it.  Emily is a big fan of pink, which is why I chose that colour!  Some pink ribbon is used for the tie.

Then came the fun part...

I used the Cricut Joy to cut out SUPER EMILY, a lightning bolt, and some stars from smart glitter iron-on vinyl.  I hadn't yet tried using iron-on vinyl, but it went very well - I love the result!  It is so lovely and glittery in real-life too, but hard to capture the true sparkle on camera.

Emily seems happy with her cape!

It feels lovely to give her presents that I have made myself!

Tomorrow is the start of 2023 - I hope that I will be back soon with a lot more crafty makes!  2022 was far too sparse on the creativity!