Appliqué Please

It's funny how your perspective changes over time. In 1973, at the Girls' Grammar School I attended, I had to drop sewing and home economics to take Latin. In the 'A' stream, home ec was not an option.

At the time, I had no interest in cooking and sewing, so it was no big deal.

Fast forward to being in my 50s. How I wish I had had the chance to pursue them. Cooking is a source of real pleasure for me, and working with fibre and textiles is my greatest joy outside of my family and friends.

One thing I did learn and still love to do, is appliqué.

Here is my journey from start to finish:

I use the crochet pieces to make first templates on paper.

After faffing around with them to get the shape that fits, I transfer them onto cardboard and label them with the toy design, for future use.

My fabric stash is modest, nearly all Fat Quarters. Appliqué takes up so little fabric, though, this stash will last for ages. I pick a fabric that suits the toy on which I am working.

I bought this bumper pack of embroidery thread at Hobbycraft, a couple of years ago, when it was on special offer. I choose either a contrasting or toning thread, for sewing on the appliqué patch.

I minimise fraying by ironing fusible interfacing onto the back of my chosen fabric. For designs such as this, where distinct pictorial elements are needed, a comparatively large amount of fabric is needed for small appliqué pieces. When the fabric is, for instance, spots, only little scraps are necessary.

This is how the appliqués turn out. For the first time, the pattern I was using turned out as intended:

I got me some shelves

You Tube is a phenomenon I have only discovered in the last year. I am very skittish around technology, though I do love this iPad. 

Anyhoo...there are some brilliant podcasts of yarn stashes,yarn hauls, craft rooms, finished projects and craft organisation systems, all perfect for saddos
aficionados like me.

I fantasise about my own craft room. Many a restless night has been spent debating colour schemes and furnishings for this nonexistent place.

However, about a month ago, we had reached critical mass with yarn and other crafty supplies. Our lovely friend James helped store a huge amount of stuff in the spare bedroom. What was left was my current stash. Fin had me drive her to Argos. I didn't know what she had in mind, but she emerged with a flat pack. That evening she spent an hour sitting cross legged on the ground and - hey presto! - a rather lovely set of shelves appeared. Ok so they are just chipboard with laminate, but the design is nice and it works. The shelves fit beautifully on top of my current cubbies, though they need a good reorganisation before I brave the camera.

So, here are pictures for the non yarn lovers, plus details for my fellow addicts.

Extreme left, bottom and middle shelves: Stylecraft Baby acrylic. Pale turquoise and lemon in 4 ply, the rest in DK.  Bottom right: Stylecraft Special DK purchased online from The Wool Warehouse @ £1.69 for 100g ball. Middle cubby - from L to R: Hayfield Baby Changes yarn, King Cole Flash yarn, Stylecraft variegated.  In the clear plastic basket: Sirdar Snuggly Pearls. Top right: Patons wool blend Aran weight. Top left: more Stylecraft Special DK.

On top of the shelves, I have some knitting books and ones relating to hand work and crafting.

During a bad bout of depression, I discovered Debbie Macomber's books about a knitting shop. They are very light reading but I have a selection of them. The as yet unread ones are for when I am unable to concentrate on anything more taxing. The knitting needle holders were covered in crochet by me last summer. The smaller one was originally a can of tomatoes and the taller, a cylinder of biscuits. I got the idea from Lucy at Attic24's blog.

The tool caddy is a Lazy Susan, covered in fabric, which I bought off Etsy about 3 years ago.

So, not exactly a craft room, but it is a nice little area in which to work. All the colours lift my spirits and are a source of inspiration for new projects.

Knit A Square

In May, I found myself at a crossroads. I needed to knit but had absolutely no interest in making toys. In fact, the very thought of them made me physically ill. So, I spent days just surfing the web.

What I finally came up with as interesting, engaging and worthwhile was the charity Knit A Square. They are South African based and provide blankets, garments and toys to desperately poor AIDS orphans.

I have not knitted children's clothes since my own boys were little. The KAS patterns are very simple. They need garments that will last for the child, are long enough to cover distended bellies caused by malnutrition and disease, are soft and comfortable and are nice and bright so they are child friendly.

Apparently,the little ones always have garments, but the older children miss out. So I made a set for 8 year old size. This is the first set:

I have used good old Stylecraft Special DK  @£1.69 for 100g. It comes in over 50 colours, is very soft and isn't the squeaky, shiny, sweat inducing acrylic of yesteryear.

I will do a post of the other completed sets at a later date.

Crochet Love

I have been knitting forever. Well, for 49 years since the age of 5. It all started in the Infant School playground.

I have always been unsporty and have seen risks in things physical. Even at 5, reading was my favourite pastime. However, books weren't allowed on the playground. The craze was skipping. Skipping solo or jumping rope wielded by 2  friends. Could not do it. Could not co-ordinate. So I needed a substitute activity - knitting.

Do you remember when trolls were cute little toys with lots of hair, not nasty people on the internet? Well, I knitted up wardrobes of clothes for my trolls. All kinds of lacy effects and textures.

And so it remained...though I moved on to clothes for my boys.

2 years ago, I thought I would try my hand at crochet and made several blankets.

Well, 2 weeks ago, I had the desire to make toys.

So far, just 2 made, but I am very happy with them:

This puppy was originally meant to be a bear! However, I did not make the head spherical enough and I sewed the muzzle on too low. So,

 a quick rescue mission by making long bunny ears and voila a hybrid bear/bunny/puppy. Despite these *ahem* newbie mistakes design modifications, I love the way it turned out and will be deliberately making more, in other colours.

The 2nd toy is a giraffe. Crikey, crochet produces MASSIVE toys. I reduced the neck length and it is still 15" tall sitting. Similarly, 

I reduced the length of the arms and legs to be in proportion.

I made another mistake with this one! I buy nearly all of my yarn on line. I love filling virtual shopping carts, even if I never proceed to the checkout! Well, apparently the baby yarn in pale turquoise and pale lemon that I had chosen was in 4 ply. I don't do 4 ply. So I held the 2 colours together and I like the resulting green effect. I also love the way you can see the two separate colours close up.

The spots gave me trouble. The pattern didn't have any, because it was designed as a stripy giraffe. I started off by sewing on fabric spots, like I sewed fabric into the puppy ears, but that didn't work for me. So I crocheted the spots and used embroidery thread to blanket stitch them on and stitch a lazy daisy in each one.

I will be back in a couple of days with a teddy bear (or a dog/rabbit/unicorn/dolphin depending on my accuracy in interpreting the pattern!)

Hello and Welcome!

My life has taken many twists and turns over the last 18 months, since I had to leave work due to ill health. It has taken me all this time to come to grips with my changed circumstances.

I think that finally, I am learning to embrace the challenges and opportunities that now present themselves to me.

This blog is to encourage others to stop and smell the roses, look for new directions and to be open to the experiences that they may encounter.

I spend most of my time knitting baby and children's clothes for different charities, knitting and crocheting toys to sell, cooking and reading. All done with a substantial amount of TV watching!

I use a wheelchair outside the house and so am more mobility limited than I used to be. Once this pesky hot weather is over, I am hoping to get out and about more, exploring our beautiful country side.

Just 1 photo for today:

This is the original Pudgy Hen, bought from a Mexican ceramics shop near Austin, Texas, when we were visiting my in laws.

Please visit again and leave a comment.

Julia x