Wednesday 29 February 2012

Happy Saint David’s Day

Tomorrow is Saint David’s Day and an INSET day at school so I thought I’d treat everyone at Woodford to a nice cake…

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Growing up and going to school in Wales, March 1st was always a big day of celebration. I have happy memories of wearing daffodils with wet kitchen roll wrapped in foil around the stems and of participating in  competitions such as traditional dress and cake decorating. I’ve been trying to find a photograph of Katryn in the traditional dress but I seem to have misplaced it. We’ll have to make do with this Welsh doll!

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Happy Saint David’s Day everyone.

Monday 27 February 2012

Homemade Tie

This weekend I made good use of the sewing machine and turned my hand to making gifts for men. This one is for a certain someone that I work with who has complained on several occasions that I have never made him anything (other than a birthday card). We were out celebrating a couple of birthdays on Saturday night when he grumbled once more. So, in an attempt to put an end to this moaning, I promised to make him one and here it is…

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I used the least feminine fabric that I own and it’s lined with my sister’s old curtains! There are a couple of things that may prove problematic should Paul actually try to wear it though. Firstly, although it looks rather glossy here, the fabric doesn’t slide as well as a tie should and I think the middle part of the length should be narrower to sit nicely under a collar but I’m pleased with it as a first attempt.

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Sunday 26 February 2012

Granny squares

I’m not sure why I’m making a blanket or who it’s for but I am rather enjoying crocheting at the moment. It requires significantly less concentration than cross-stitch. Well, certainly less than the red kite demands anyway. I have finished 14 rounds on my central grey granny square and have now begun to make blue and purple 4 round granny squares to border the central piece. This should create a square with sides about 55cm before I decide what to do with it next. I have another 14 of the little ones to make and then I need to learn how to join them together.

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Sunday 19 February 2012

Half-term crafting

I’ve not had much time for crafting this week but here are a couple of things that I have managed to squeeze in…

1. Crocheting
Last Saturday I tested the patience of my dear friend Lib to breaking point as she taught me how to crochet after my dismal attempts the weekend before. We made a small granny square using a few different stitches and a cute little flower – somehow I managed to gain an extra couple of petals on mine, who’d have thought counting was supposed to be my area of expertise?! I’d had a few glasses of wine during this process and was a little concerned that I may not retain these new found skills so I took my hook and wool on a hospital visit on Monday where I made Nan-nan a perfectly proportioned flower with the required six petals and started to make a blanket. During the course of the week the blanket has grown a little and Katryn set me the challenge of making a butterfly, which I did as a flower with four petals. Here is the blanket at the moment:
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It’s only about 25cm square at the moment but I’ll get there.

2. Marbled Neapolitan Cake
This one speaks for itself!
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Tuesday 14 February 2012

Quick but effective

Tuesdays are crafting night but it’s half term and I’m enjoying some family time in Wales so I have to share a couple of cards that I made last Tuesday. I’m becoming quite fond of the effect created by stitching different layers of paper together.

Happy anniversary to my in-laws for today and one last time, happy 30th birthday for last Saturday Guru!

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Tuesday 7 February 2012

Keeping it simple

In some ways it feels like only yesterday that we got married but it was actually three years ago today. We’ve been together for a staggering 11 years now! Here is the very simple stitched card that I made for David last night…

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We also received this beautiful handmade card from Ruth and Neil…

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Sunday 5 February 2012

If at first you don’t succeed…

Whoop whoop I did it! I have made my first crocheted rectangle. It’s pretty useless but it’s definitely crochet and I understand what I’m trying to do now. It even has the same number of stitches in every row! If I can get the tension sorted then I’ll be well away. Hurrah, it hasn’t been a wasted weekend after all!

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My success is entirely due to the wonderful instructions from learn2knit that finally suited me.

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Two days I’ve spent trying to learn how to crochet but I just can’t get my head around it. This is an unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling. I’m going to persevere for the rest of this evening (apart from completing a set of marking for Year 12). After that, if I am still (as I suspect) unsuccessful and mastering any more than the initial chain of stitches I will wait to be taught by my dear sister-in-law who mastered the skill some time ago.
Between my frustrating attempts to master this new craft I have done a couple of things this weekend. On Saturday, I made a (horribly sweet) strawberry and apple tiramisu that we took round to Alex and Laurence’s place last night, which David is polishing off as I type. I then mounted some old pieces of curved stitching to go up in my classroom tomorrow (snow allowing).
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Today I have finally got around to making an engagement card for Rhiannon and Simon who got engaged in Paris a few weeks ago. I designed the stitched card, which was inspired by the photograph of her ring that she put on facebook. After stitching the design I painted the sapphires and diamonds and mounted the pieces…
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During the nail-biting but thoroughly enjoyable Wales-Ireland rugby match I went back to the trusty latch-hook rug. I’ve completed 13 rows from the 104 now! Each row takes me about half an hour to complete so I have a long way to go.
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Ok, off I go to watch some tutorials on YouTube. crochet hook at the ready, one way or another I will crack this…
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