Another bed cushion...

... my husband is complaining there's no room for him on the bed!

This is my first proper attempt at patchwork. I'd like to say it was done by hand, but the reality is that I am far too idle to spend a zillion hours handsewing teeny stitches.

I read my sewing machine manual, and lo and behold! A patchwork setting :)

It's still pretty labour intensive though - alot of cutting, ironing, pinning not to mention sewing.

I like that it is made from leftovers though, very frugal! I would love to make a bedspread, but I'm not good at big projects which require ongoing commitment. 

(And my husband might demand separate bedrooms if the marital bed gets any more flowery!!)

For Funky, Coco and Licken

This morning we found that a fox had killed our three chickens.

Now scratching about in Chicken Heaven xxx

Handmade Thursday - a birthday card

It's been a while since I made a card.

Lazy I guess.

But this is for the mother-in-law who is a card maker herself. She actually appreciates a handmade card and the thought which goes into it.

The ladybird is a stamp I got free from a magazine. Not that long ago, I think it was possibly Simply Homemade. I coloured it with my watercolour pencils. Papers came from my stash, and the greeting is handwritten.

More handmade Thursdays at www.whitelilygreen.blogspot.com

Hello Scrapbooking, my old friend

It's been a long time since I rummaged through my vast supply of scrapbooking supplies.

(Let's just say I have enough stash to open a small shop.)

Handmade Thursday - 10 minute hair clip

Do you remember melting your bic pen over a bunsen burner in the science lab?
Then here is an opportunity to use those long forgotten skills!

To make this hair clip you need several circles of polyester fabric and a cigarette lighter (or a bunsen burner if you happen to have one - I'm guessing most people don't.)
You need to carefully melt the edges of the circles by holding them over the flame, this makes them turn up slightly. This is very satisfying.

Then you make a little pile of circles and sew a button through the middle to secure them. I also added a couple of circles of net fabric.

Then use a glue gun to secure a circle of felt and a kirby grip to the back.

Ta-dah!

More handmade Thursdays at www.whitelilygreen.blogspot.com

Little Bootees; now I need a baby to give them to!

After finishing my sweater I needed a little project so I made these little boots from some leftover yarn.

Aren't they sweet? I think I will give them to a friend who is expecting any day soon.

Pattern available here ; just scroll down the page to find "Oh baby bootee."

Unseasonal knitting

I've finished my winter jumper! And actually it's not late because I only started it in March. 

I bought the yarn (King Cole Dreams chunky) in the sale hoping I'd be able to knit something by the time the cold weather was due to return. Four months is actually pretty speedy for me - I got bored about three quarters in, but I would not let myself start anything new until this was finished!

 It's a raglan sweater with side button detail. This is actually the first time I did a raglan style, and I'm very pleased - no nasty picking up!

And one last photo - one of me feeling rather warm wearing a woolly sweater in July!