A totally impractical gift!

I have a creative streak at the moment!

I have just made a birthday present for my good friend A - although it is a month late getting to her. It started out as a very practical gift, but finished up hugely impractical but quite fun!

I saw and bought the material when I was at the 'Festival of Quilts' back in August, as I thought it was just the job to make something for her. Then it took me a while to decide what I would make, get all the materials together, make a pattern, and actually set about making it.

A peg bag can't be that difficult? I had seen her glueing the hanger back together on hers, so thought a new peg bag would be welcome.

I only had two fat quarters of material and didn't want to make any mistakes, so made a mockup first with some curtain lining that I had to hand. It's a good job I did as I wanted the peg bag to be seamless inside, but managed to get one of the fabrics the wrong way round once it was all turned the right way out! Now I have the laying up order safely written down so I don't make the mistake again.

quickly made pattern

my little sketch of the finished peg bag on the corner of my sewing table

I then decided to cover the hanger so that it would blend in more, and add a little embellishment - a little flower brooch made from Liberty fabric scraps with a little vintage button in the centre and a 'pearl' necklace!

The necklace is what makes the peg bag a little impractical as I can see it totally getting in the way, especially if it is raining and there is a need to get the washing in quickly.....

.... but it would make me smile whilst hanging out the washing!

I have also started another quilt, this one is much smaller than the last, and is a present for my niece and her husband as they are expecting their first baby any day now! Rather than make a cot quilt I have made a play mat, the fabric is so cute - but more about that next time as I'm still busy making it.

Autumn fruit

Mmmm apple crumble! Just the job for Sunday lunch. I've just used the only apples that we have from the garden - this year has been such a disaster for fruit around here, and I had such high hopes. The lovely crab apple tree at J's mums has produced no fruit this year and there have been no plums either.
It seems as if it has been a general problem this year in the UK as has been documented on the BBC web page here.

I was hoping to make an apple and blackberry crumble as that is my favourite at this time of year but..

... even the hedgerows have produced a poor crop of fruit this year. So I was really surprised, when on my walk with Beanie this afternoon, I found a few blackberries! There is still a lot of fruit to ripen, and the berries that were ripe are very small in comparison to last year, but gradually as we went on our way collecting a few berries here and a few there we came home with enough fruit to fill a bowl.

and I had some lovely stained fingers!

As we still have to eat the crumble, being too full to eat a pud at lunch time,

I think I will make a compote with the fruit and eat it along side the crumble, yum!

Have you had the same problem with fruit this season?

Project finished!

After starting a new project at the beginning of the month, and having to keep it a secret - or at least not giving away too much, it is now finished and has been presented to the new owner!

Happy 21st birthday Ellie!

I was asked by my good friend Catherine if I would make a quilt for her daughter's 21st birthday. I was delighted to do so, and have been beavering away to get it completed for her birthday which was yesterday.

Earlier in the month, Catherine and I had an enjoyable trip to the fabric store, where she chose the material and we made plans for the quilt. With lots of stripes, checks and dots it was technically challenging for me to keep everything looking straight, so I was very pleased with the final outcome.

a bit of a blur as the quilt is unwrapped!

looking good!

Tomorrow we are going to a family and friends birthday celebration - I just hope the weather stays dry!

Cake time!

We had a wee celebration at our house recently, it was my birthday! A very low key event these days, but rather lovely with friends invited for supper on the eve before, and the girls and J all at home on the day - and of course cake! Yummy blueberry cake from the Hummingbird Cookbook, which is now becoming a firm favourite in our family.

Beautiful flowers - a gift from my good friend C, cut from her garden and arranged so beautifully in a lovely mossy terracotta pot

On the crafty front I was given knitting books to keep me busy over the winter! The socks are so gorgeous, and the patterns can be mix and matched, so an endless book of fun. The same with the knitted blocks, new stitches to learn and combinations to make a blanket. Both of these books will give me lots of inspiration and keep me busy at knit and natter! I also have a crochet workshop to look forward to in October, a great gift from the girls.

A really lovely relaxed weekend with family and good friends, who could have asked for more.

Knitting and sewing

After the success of knitting a beanie hat for C, I have started another - for me this time! Really it was to make use of the yarn left over and to keep me busy at my knit and natter group. So I will have a new hat, in a different colour way, for walking our dog Beanie this winter. It seems as if our 'summer' is drifting into autumn - more rain and now misty mornings over the hills around our house.

I have also been busy on my new project and hope to have it finished in the next few days.

New project

The computer I use has been out of action for a few days, there has been lots of updating, transferring, reorganising and I haven't had a look in! However, it did give me time to do some planning and cutting and I have a little pile of scrap material and some lovely cut squares!

Now I need to get going with the machine.....