I've neglected you ..

.. I'm sorry.

I really must get better at this!

Here are some pictures of recent work (since the starburst blanket)

Will keep you posted more. Promise.

It's finished!!!

The front of the starburst blanket

The back

My sister snuggled in her 'congrats' blanket =D

Have loved making this, am sad to see its over. 90 squares in total. Shall make another soon I think ;)

Update on Starburst blanket!

It doesn't look as many as I thought there were ....

Best carry on then! 

~*~ Sam ~*~

Charity Shop find

5 skeins of wool for £3??? Yes please! 

What to make?

Not enough for a blanket.

A scarf it is.

It is made with a 10mm crochet hook, and starts with 150 chain, followed by a line of single crochets and then three rows of treble crochets, finished with a line of single crochets. Around the edges I am adding a shell detailing, which isn't finished just yet.

~*~ Sam ~*~

Bank Holiday Make

I have been so busy writing my dissertation that having something crafty to pick up in-between paragraphs makes it seem as if I am able to spend some of my day doing something that I like. So, whilst finishing my literature review and having visits from family, I made this ..

I used the shell design which can be found here. I must say, this scarf did take me longer than the time suggested on this tutorial, I have made it one shell wider than the instructions and it does measure (without tassels) 70" long. 

As you can see in the picture below, I have made it in 'thirds' the first and third section are identical, the middle has the same patter but is predominately pink, rather than grey. 

 A closer view of the shells.

I love this scarf. Am looking forward to winter .. on the other hand, if our spring-summer continues the way it has been, maybe I won't need to wait so long!

~*~ Sam ~*~

New project! Starburst crochet blanket.

Whilst nosing through flickr, I came across several beautiful crocheted blankets that used a different type of square to the granny ones. I spent ages searching the internet for this pattern, only to find it is in one of my Mollie Makes magazines (issue 2). 

The starburst granny square...

For my sisters blanket she has chosen greens and blues .. I couldn't help but add the yellow, think it just makes it all look a little but fresher!

~*~ Sam ~*~

Hexies ... Long lost project

Crochet has completely taken over at the moment, after completing my blanket my sister has asked if I would make her one... Who am I to say no?! 

I thought I would do a quick update of the hexxies quilt, to show it is coming along, slowly, but surely ...

~*~Sam~*~

Finished!!

It's finished! 

Apologises for the poor photo's! The blanket is about the same size as me so was pretty difficult to get a picture of it in its entirety.

In quarters..

In half

I love it!

~*~ Sam ~*~

Crochet!

It really has been too long since I last blogged about my crafts!! I have started a new project in the hope that I would have two running along one another. However, no one warned me how addicted crochet was and how fast the project comes together! 

So..

This is my first blanket. It started as a small granny square but has accumulated into a blanket! It still has a long way to go yet. Apologises for the terrible picture, will get a better one of it when its complete.

~*~Sam~*~

Random Act of Kindness ...

I have been following 'The Curiosity Project' since Christmas time and have been waiting for their new project. Well, I needn't wait any long. It was released today and is called 'Out of the Blue' and sounds brilliant. The aim of the game is to leave a little something, either for a stranger or for someone you know, where someone will find it. Attached to your item is a little tag (all information can be accessed by clinking here) and 'hopefully' the person who finds it will upload a picture onto either the instagram hashtag or the flickr group. I am now having a think as to what I shall leave out and where .. Will update with my progress.

This picture is from 'The Curiosity Project' blog and is their logo for the 'Out of the Blue' Project.

Shall also have to update with the crafts I have been getting up to. Not too good at this blogging malarky!

~*~ Sam ~*~

My Hexies!!

Aww, I really do love this project! I had to pause it for awhile due to manic life and as I had run out of templates!! Luckily some arrived yesterday and I have been carrying on with the next row of colour. Last weekend (I think) I managed to finish my three love-hearts from the fabric that Dad bought me...

As you can see, in little piles are the hexies that I have been working on yesterday and today. Shall carry on and post another post when I have decided on the order I would like to stitch them in.

~*~Sam~*~

Crafty Update

I haven't posted for awhile, things have been a bit hectic and I had to put the sewing needle and machine down whilst I sorted a few things out. I have had a few days of 'me time' and here is what I have been up to ...

A friend from university asked me if I would make a cushion for her boyfriend representing his favourite childhood character. I really enjoyed making this. The detail on his shell is all hand stitched and because of the facial detail, I chose to use fabric glue as I did not think stitches would add quality but take away from it. What do you think? 

This second cushion was made on Friday, this is for my aunties 40th. She saw my Mum's one and has hinted that she would love one to go in her bedroom. Hence, the purple and green floral patterns. 

Saturday afternoon was spent at a friends, enjoying my very first crafting afternoon! I do not yet have a stack of fabrics and she let me use one of hers to make this gorgeous pillow! As a thank you I have made her this ..

... pincushion! I hope she likes it! We are planning on making a sewing machine cover and machine pin cushion next.

~*~Sam~*~

Yesterday, I set up a flickr account. I have added photo's today. If you would like to have a nose please do.

Beautifully Bright

This weekend, Dad and I went shopping in Rochester to buy my Mums birthday presents. Both of my parents are watching the progress of my quilt with pride and have always asked after any of my crafting projects. I had warned Dad that we would be going into Hometown and that it is very likely that he will have to drag me out of there (I am easily distracted at the best of times, add fabric, colour, projects and books into the mix and I wonder if I would even notice Gerard Butler if he came in .... Okay, that may be going too far...). Whilst we were in there Dad and I had found a 'perfect for patchwork' basket. The selection of fabrics are all too small to be sold as FQ's but literally are perfect for patchwork. Dad spied these two beautifully bright colours and bought them for me to use in my hexagon quilt! (love love love!!!)

I have decided to make three love hearts (as per the one in the picture) and place them in the middle.

~*~ Sam ~*~

Quilt Update

Before sitting down to do my uni work, everything suddenly seems to important... I clean my room, I find an email to write, checking Facebook feels like a life or death experience and now I have a blog, well, another brilliant excuse to avoid writing my assignment!

Since Tuesday, the corner now looks like this;

This is the black and white top section complete.

Can start on colour now ...

I have posted a photo below to show you the back. Once the hexagons have been sewn together, you are able to remove the paper out of the ones in the middle (you can reuse these). It is important to keep the ones in around the edge to stabilize your work.

I have started the bottom black and white section, which is coming together a lot faster than the first corner.

I am loving creating this quilt!!

~*~ Sam ~*~

My First Quilt

After making my Christmas crafts, patchwork cushions and cushions for members of my family, I have found my scrap bag bustling at the seems. I began to google what I could use my scraps for and wanted to find something I could do by hand. I came across some beautiful, inspirational examples of hexagon patchwork (I haven't included pictures of others work as I'm not sure on the rules with that but if you look on flikr you will find lots of examples). 

I started to make up some of the hexagons last weekend. Here is my progress so far...

As you can see, the progress made in comparison to the rest of the work to do is mammoth. But, I do love the idea of an ongoing, hand sewn quilt. I am already very proud of what it is beginning to look like.

The back.

As I am a self-taught sewer, last night I began to think about how I would quilt the hexagons when I come to finishing the top of my quilt. I found this beautiful blog by Cheryl (http://timetocraft.co.uk/?p=5933) who is currently making her own hexagon quilt for the first time and emailed her regarding how she is quilting hers. 

I was surprised at the kindness she showed me. I received an email back with lots of helpful tips that I now feel completely and totally excited for this project. If you are making your own, please comment and I will be happy to share what I have learnt. Of course I will run this by Cheryl first but I am sure she won't mind.

On a separate note, I am hoping through this blog to share ideas, tips and tutorials. So if there is anything I can help with, or knowledge you can share with me, please get in touch =)

~*~ Sam ~*~

August 2011 - The start of something addictive

Summer Holidays... 5-6 weeks off from work .. bliss??

I get bored...

...easily!

I pulled out a Christmas cross stitch (which I now still haven't finished *tut tut*) and remember talking to my friends, about how I would like to make some gifts for Christmas this year. Some gifts turned into handmade gifts for ALL my family and friends. And here, my love for all crafts was born.

It began with mosaic hand mirrors for my sisters ..

I fell absolutely over heels in love with sock monkeys! - I made a lot of these for friends <3

I  painted crockery (http://www.doodlebugspottery.co.uk/) made frames, pin cushions and stuffed love-hearts.

My love for sewing has continued to grow! I have since made a few patchwork cushions and am starting on my first quilt... Posts to follow.

~*~ Sam ~*~