Flowers for the girls

Had a go at wet felt making last night. I have been needle felting for a while but really really wanted to try it out. I didn't count on the blisters (note to self - next time wear rubber gloves), but I loved the results. Such vibrant colours, and so much fun cutting it into little bits to make these flowers.

Everyone needs co-ordinated shoes

I thought it was quite important that the baby have a pair of bitty booties to match the blanket. You're never too young to learn about accessorising.

Finished the baby ripple

I have finished rippling the all-wool baby blanket. The only problem was sewing in the enormous number of ends that you get when you change colour every two rows. And now I have to block it. I love blocking - it is like magic. You start with something a bit like a balloon that has been deflated - baggy, shapeless and disappointing, and you end up with the yarn equivalent of a fantastic multi-lobed helium-filled wonder that has every four year old girl in the neighbourhood saying 'mummy mummy mummy pleeeeaaaasssse can I have one!!!!'

Then I have to give it away. I know that was the whole point of making it, but I feel a little sad. Sending my baby off into the world - will they take proper care of it? Will they dry it flat? Will they wash it on a gentle cycle? I really must learn to let go.

I must thank all the lovely ladies over at the no-end-in-sight ripple-along for giving me such great advice on gender neutral colour choices. Of course, I ended up using my current favourite blues, greens and purples, but I can't seem to help it. When I get into the shop they just call to me. It would be rude not to listen. Also invaluable was this great random stripe generator. I guess you could say this was a community project!

Rainy weekend brunch

What a horrible rainy day we have had. A houseful of screaming children and washing that just won't dry. On days like these we really need enormous quantities of pancakes. Thanks to Nigella they are just a moment away.


Now that's better.
Added bonus - no need to cook lunch!

Avoiding the issue

I have formed a bit of a craft book habit lately. Books have always been an addiction of mine, in one form or another, and when they have the added attraction of offering the possibility of beautiful things to be made I am undone. I discovered the wonderful world of Japanese craft books recently, in particular this one, which has the most delicious photographs of incredibly lovely baby stuff - quilts, bibs, shoes and so on. I couldn't resist making this quilt, mostly with fabrics left over from other projects, but also using some wonderful silk-like Liberty cotton lawn.

It was so enjoyable and quick to make, I think that it will become my standard new baby gift. Now I just need to persuade my friends to have more babies.

Of course I had to photograph it on the lawn - I love a good pun.

And, by the way, this was not even on my to-do list. A little procrastination anyone?

To do

Ripple number one
Ripple number two
Japanese folded patchwork quilt
Project bag
Felted flower for fabulous Etsy swap (thankyou for organising it askey)
Patchwork pillow
Kitsch floral handbag
Bright flowery quilt
Bitty booties for twins (yes, that means two pairs!)
Wee wonderfuls toys for various children
Moda quilt

Oh yes, and I musn't forget to feed those three small people that call me mummy.

Spring is back

So the husband is going away for a few days and I am so excited. Not that he is going away, simply that I can get all my sewing stuff out and leave it all over the house until saturday when I will have a frantic last minute tidy up. It is so lovely to have the space and time to play with fabrics and designs without having to be the wife. It doesn't happen that often, which is probably what keeps it a joy. It means that I can hopefully get some of these objects out of my head and into the real world, leaving just a little bit more space for being married.

In the garden today, finally. The weather is perfect. Golden boy crawled all over the lawn like he had never seen anything so amazing in his life, and now has grass stains all over his chubby little knees.

The middle one went exploring:

and found some lovely spring flowers:

A tale of two ripples

I am a whore. A fickle, cheating, whore. I love my first ripple. It is all cotton and the colours of the sea. It has been growing slowly but surely, and I have gained great pleasure watching the whole change with each new shade of blue. The problem is that now I have the new ripple. This one is all wool and is half the width. It is only five colours and is being made for a new baby. I love my second ripple. I am a crochet polygamist.



Ripple number one is now on the shelf.




Why can there not be more hours in the day?

Oh Peggy, how I love you!

This cake is the most decorating fun I have had in a while, from this book which is my current favourite. It's like cake porn - I can't stop staring at it! I am so pleased that my friend's mum is having a 70th birthday party - she really is most considerate.



Also this morning a package from America with another Moda jelly roll - Blossom by Urban Chiks this time. They are like sweeties - I want them all. I really must learn self control before I gorge myself sick.

Teaching and learning

Number one has decided she would like to learn to knit, so who am I to argue. If someone had taught me when I was her age then I would have been able to make huge numbers of things by now. She is using this book which is brilliant - full of well illustrated and fun instructions and such adorable projects. I want to make them for myself (maybe I will). She has chosen the 'secret book' and has knitted a whole 6 rows. I think we will be working on this one for a while! Personally I think she liked the idea of having her own knitting bag even more than being able to make stuff, and with a bag like this who can blame her!

It is at times like these that it is not easy being the left-handed parent of a right-handed child. Next come crochet lessons - I think I will have to get a mirror out for that one!

Rain rain rain

I wonder whether this rain is ever going to stop, and when we are going to have something that even vaguely resembles summer. It seems as though all the months have been shuffled around and dealt out randomly - April was just like June.
Staying in the house makes the small people cranky, and I let them into the mudbath of a garden just to get some peace. They don't seem to think that shoes are an important part of rainy day attire so get cold quickly. When they come inside though, the decibel levels have decreased considerably, so it is all worth the extra stain removers in the laundry.





I am working on a tiny little doll quilt for the middle one. She covets these Moda fabrics as much as I do, and what mother could say no to that face. The fabrics are here - Spring Fling by Sandy Gervais and are delicious. The quilt is about 10 inches square and is made from one bargello block, a name which makes me giggle because it sounds so much like bordello. Not so appropriate for a four year old girl.

I hope that dolly appreciates it.