Rowan Tree Cottage

I've made a bed end drapy thing like we had in the hotel in Ross back in July. I swore no more big projects as I've no need of another big quilt in this little cottage, but this was make-able almost totally from stash. I only had to dash out for a FQ of the leaf fabric to finish the 8 maple leaves at the ends. The centre is by Nancy Halvorsen in her Art to Heart "Cider mill Road" booklet. I like working from her designs as she even reverses the lettering ready for heat and bond applique. I didn't put her flowers on though, just added more leaves. With Autumn hopefully in the air after what feels like a very long Summer, this bed end drape will keep our toes cosy.  I backed it in a very pale green herringbone weave cotton cloth. It is incredibly soft. I think the poor fabric has lingered in stash for a decade just waiting for this project. I have plenty of leftovers so maybe I can make some matching cushion covers. I made my Granny some laven...

Sorry this is a day late. I was away from the cottage yesterday. Today though, my first ever brand new armchairs arrived! I've always had relatives' casts offs until this moment. The comfort of these Ikea torsebro chairs is wonderful for my broken rib, and bad back generally. Another new arrival is the dvd of the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" film. I can at least stroke the picture of THE coat now. Giggle. I think I am getting ready to hole up for Autumn.  I've made a few bits this week:  My friend Ulla made me a double pin holder for knitting. I thought it was such a fantastic idea that I've made more of them!  I chose pink leather and wrote the size on in sharpie pen. One step closer to looking organised! Of course one make leads to another. Next was a "built to last" knitting needle bag. Inside out you can see a leather bottom. It has leather sides too. Bead and ribbon decoration for the zip.  Cer...

As I'm taking it easy still, thanks to malingering body. I've had time to make this new cotton shopping bag in crochet. Wide handle so it doesn't dig in when loaded. I included some of my favourite flower rows from Sophie's Universe  and made the design up as I went along. A 22" cushion cover for charity. All Christmas themed fabrics.  I particularly like the middle section which were decorations on a sheet for mini stockings.  Snowmen on the front and snowmen on the back.  The very last of the Christmas scraps went into these 4" coasters.  I was amazed at how this scrappy granny is coming along. It kind of reminds me of a pond in a flower garden in a Monet-ish way. No doubt it will change when I get more scraps of yarn. For now I am scrap free. It wont stay that way for long. I've been buying more cheap acrylic 100g balls with an idea for a "land" panel to join onto the ripple section.  I keep a journal/list b...

I bet you all have had a time where you just needed to make something to make you smile. Well these rose petal and lavender bags in a Kaffe Fassett fabric made me smile this week. This awful wrist is still too weak to be practical but it did iron a strip of 2012 hoarded Kaffe. I filled a couple with dried traditional rose petals from the garden, and the other 2 with dried lavender. The smell was heady and uplifting. Just what I needed! I really like how they came out. I have officially used up all my scraps of cotton yarn in the base of this pot cover. The pot was one I had fired earlier but it has a weak spot in the rim, so hopefully this cover will be practical as well as pretty. The sides are a row of trebles followed by a row of half trebles and a row of double crochet. I like the effect. Another tick is finishing off the red 4 ply yarn I moved in with. The hat is a circle base, straight sides, then 2 stitches into every one, to form the brim, and straight af...

This week I can share the tree mittens I made last week as my friend has received the pair I was able to make her from the leftovers of my own. I can also share the cotton drawstring rucksack I’ve just finished. I had to buy an extra ball of white crafting cotton for it. Most of the time has been spent on a Leonie Morgan 7” hexagon block called Grandma’s Motif. I ran out of dark grey so used up the rest of my dark green. Then I ran out of pale grey, so used up the rest of my white stash. When plain white ran out, I used sparkling white. With only 4 blocks to go I ran out of denim blue, so a scrap of teal blue stepped in. The border used up all the green and sparkling white. A great stash buster! The size and shape  means it can go on a table, be a tv blanket, or wrap around as a shawl. Useful! My wrist is still recovering, these things take far too long now I’m older! I’ll get back to fabric as soon as I can. Am I the only one who has fallen in love with the coat from “The Gue...