Cushion and some small experiments.

I found a slightly larger cushion, so the 'cushion fail' fitted better than planned. It's only slightly larger now but when sewn on, there isn't enough to make a frill.  So the plan is that I'll go round and put a simple border on, just to make it a little more frill looking.

So here it is as the moment:

My mum doesn't like it, but hopefully once it has a bit of a border on she'll like it better.

So as well, I found a varigated ball of wool in the charity shop cheap and have been experimenting with it. 

Crochet flower ...

Would obviously look better in a block colour, but I was just experimenting as I've never attempted a flower yet.

Also, in the same wool I made two little doilies.   The reason I'm so pleased with these is that I used a Japanese pattern and read it only from symbols, whereas I've only really worked from written instructions or youtube demo's so far.  So it was a challenge, but I enjoyed it.  I also modified the border at the end from their pattern.

Anyhow here's one of them:





Sorry, up to my usual dodgy photo skills as you can see!

And here's one of the three together:

They were all pretty quick to do and I enjoyed making them.

Not yet blocked as you can see.  I really need to get something I can block on. That's something I haven't sorted out yet, so nothing get's blocked at the moment. I'm sure it would take a better shape if I could do that with them.

Anyhow, I'm off to make tea now.   Hope you all have a great evening!

:)



Weekly weigh in # 10 and the big cushion FAIL!

Off to the vets with the dog for her heart scan this morning but before I go, it's update time.

I avoided weighing myself yesterday as I've been pretty bad this week and just thought there was no point.  However, my friend kinda talked me into it and so this morning I confronted the scales with due trepidation.

I LOST 1 1/4lb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have to say I don't know how and it's totally undeserved food wise, but I have been busy in the house, doing chores and moving things around and so maybe the exercise helped?
Either way, I'm so pleased with this loss and feeling more like continuing on with the whole trying to lose weight thing.

:)

I do have a failure to report as well though.  The last cushion I was making before our friends come on Saturday has been a complete failure!  *cries*
It's totally my own fault. I found a tutorial for a flower motif I liked and decided to do 5 of them and then the other fours squares a plain colour, to match in with the plain squares cushion I did previously.

Anyhow, the tutorial tells you to use crochet hook size 5.5  I was all pleased with myself as I remembered to do the plain ones on the same hook, so as to make sure all same tension and matching.  What I didn't take into consideration was the size of the cushion! 
I should have used a #4 hook like on my previous cushions, to be sure it fitted, but I just followed the tutorial instructions without giving it a thought.
It was only when I tried the top row against the cushion (when I was crocheting the squares together) that I realised my mistake!

Look at the size difference!

So now what to do.  I need one more cushion for the other chair. I have limited time now as I have alot to do the rest of the week. I don't think I can easily alter the squares I've done now. Even if I took a round off each, which would probably be a bit fiddly? I'm not sure. I don't think I have time to recrochet the whole thing.

Any suggestions?

It had to happen ...

I had to, I couldn't help it ... it's almost compulsory for me really.  I tried so hard not to, I said I wouldn't ... but I did ... I blinged it up!

Yep, I couldn't resist in the end.  I ended up adding a tiny yellow bead to the centre of each flower and the white scroll part at the bottom has white metallics added with the dmc thread and to finish it off, I omitted the final red flower and added a red heart button!

What's the verdict?

Of course it needs a press and it has to be framed still, but what's your thoughts on it?  Should I have stuck with the original or do you like my version?

I'm off to start thinking on that next crochet cushion now and hopefully have a little browse round at some blogs as well.

Take care!

:)

Another one completed and so nearly there!

This week is fairly whizzing past. I've been running round everywhere, or that's how it seems at anyrate!
I have still managed to get a bit of work done on my projects though.

Third cushion is finished and on one of the chairs. One more to do now, but I have to think of a design for it! It has to match in 'ish' and yet be different as well. So I'm mulling that one over at the moment.
I'd like it done and finished though by next Friday, with our friends coming on the Saturday.

TA DA!!!!

So funny, I still can't quite believe I'm managing this all this crocheting! I just never ever thought I'd get the hang of it and all of a sudden, it just worked!

So while I'm contemplating what to do for the last cushion, I'm getting back on with my 'Time for God' project.  Just a little done, but ideally I'd like this finished by Saturday morning, THIS Saturday morning! EEK!!!!! I want to try and get it framed this weekend.  

Maybe that's just a touch 'overly ambitious' though.  Although I'm am so NEARLY there now.

I'm sorry I'm a little behind on my blog reading,. Hopefully I'll catch up with you all over the weekend.  Hope everyone's okay? 

Well I'm back on taxi duty early tomorrow morning, taking Tom to the job he's working on.  That's after I make up his and Steve's lunches of course!  So I think I'll wander off to my bed and hopefully I'll have more project news for you soon.

Take care

:)  

Weekly weigh in # 9 and another cushion!

Meant to update yesterday but time got away from me. So here we go ...

First off the weekly weigh in.
Have to say I was not holding out any hope this week as I haven't stuck to plan really and have had 'naughty' moments. Also I'm really having problems with that awful time of the month, I'm all over the place, so have been feeling ill pretty much constantly.

However, much to my shock I lost 1 and a 1/4lb!!!  
I so don't deserve it, but I'm pretty glad of course.  I just wish I didn't have to battle this constant cravings, it would be much easier to stick with it and get some REAL progress going if things were more normal and settled with me.
For all this 9 weeks of dieting, what with all my up's and downs I've actually only lost 4 1/4lb overall!
*CRIES*
:(

Swiftly moving onto something else ...

I made another cushion.  :)   I'm really enjoying making these.

It seems os weird to think it wasn't that long ago I just couldn't get to grips with crochet at all!  Yet now I'm loving it! :)

Anyhow, I tried to make this one a bit different again, to make things more interesting.  I used the same colours in it as the first one, so they do go together, but altered the pattern.

And here it is with it's companion, brightening up my room.

Hopefully it looks alot more cheerful now.


:)



Since Tuesday ...





 Since Tuesday I've been pretty busy but I've also been busy crafting wise as well. :)

I got the granny squares completed for my project idea and was pleased with how they turned out.

Apologies for the dark picture but as you know photography isn't something I'm too good at.

Anyhow, I made 9 as that was the perfect amount for the project idea. I also used 9 colours of wool.
The next job was to trawl youtube looking for an easy to understand tutorial on how to sew them together.  I did make a little mistake on that, but once I realised and did it correctly, it was soooo much easier to do!

Now, I have these really boring cushions in our living room. Just plain and boring. Steve was brought up with his mum liking everything very plain and colourless and that's how he likes it too.  I was sooo fed up with these though, so my idea was to make crochet cushion covers.

We have a group of friends coming for the day on the 30th though and I thought it would be great to have things finished by then.  I want a few others things finished by then as well though, my stitching being one of them plus I would like to make a couple of gifts if I have time.  So time is scarce.

So anyhow I had the idea of just making the cushion fronts and sewing them to the existing covers. Do you think they'll look ok?

This is the one I've completed so far. It's only pinned to the cover at the moment to see how it looks, I plan to sew it on over the weekend. 

This shows it pinned along the seam of the existing cover, ready to be sewn.  I just wanted opinions before I actually do it incase any of you can think of reasons this is a bad idea.  I know I could crochet a back for each and make a proper cover, but I'm trying to save time at the moment I guess.

I think as well, that I want to do each cushion so it's different, although sort of ties in colourwise maybe. So the next one I've started is all 9 squares one block colour, using the same colours as this one.

This is a view of how it looks and you can see the two plain covers next to it. I just think it will give a real splash of colour and hopefully a cosy feeling to the room.  Please do leave comments and opinions for me. I really want your thoughts on this.

Oh a quick change of subject ...  we got this 3 piece leather suite quite a few years back.  It was in the second hand goods part of a posh shop and Steve just happened to be going past as they had put it in so he was first to see it.
It was like new, only months old, but had a red mark on one of the seats, looks like dye from a cushion or some thing? So anyhow, the owners had come for a brand new suite! They apparently change their suites regular anyhow, but would keep them at least a year usually.
This one, although not very old was now displayed at a VERY cheap price (we couldn't believe it) and we had just got some money from overtime Steve had worked.  So we bought it!  We had been looking for a new but reasonably priced suite for months, but never saw one we liked. Anyhow, Steve bought some stain remover and leather cleaner and a few hours later we had a mark free NEW suite!
We've had it years now but just keep it polished up and it's still in great condition. 

I love a bargain.  :)

Back to this week, Joe and I have been baking.  This is all that was left in the evening though when I thought to take a picture.

He did well, but I'm having problems getting the oven right.  This new electric cooker has a fan oven which is energy efficient, and so none of the temps and times work out to normal. You have to convert it and I'm finding out the conversions they give aren't too good.
I'm pretty much ok with most things in it now, but it's proving tricky trying to work it out right for things like cakes.  The first batch kind of sunk and was a bit pudding like, the next ones were ok but I left them in too long really, the 3rd try worked better but still not the light texture I'm used to.  So we still need to get it perfected.  It was a new recipe we tried as well, so that might even be a factor in the failure as well.

So if any of you have any FAIL safe fairy cake/cupcake recipes that always turn out fine for you, please could you send me it and then I can play around with the oven and try and get it right!
Thank you! :)

Sticky2 has gone to his new home. We took him last night. Joe decided to give him to his friend as he wasn't really paying him much attention and his friend loves stick insects, so that was better really.

We've decided we'll use the habitat to do butterflies again as we really enjoyed it last year. We got them as caterpillars and watched them change, then we let them go but they actually stayed around our garden and we were able to go out have them on our hands, it was brilliant!

Anyhow, if anyone is still reading this far and hasn't got bored by my rambling on, have a great day and keep smiling!

:)

YAY! Go granny!

One thing I just love the look of, but couldn't get the hang of for some reason, was the granny square.  However, after managing to complete my doily I decided to give it another try and here are the results!

I don't think my tension matches the pattern, but the good thing is, they are all more or less the same size, so at least they match each other!
I have to have a look at sewing in all the loose threads of course, as it was really a case of trial and error with changing colours.  My pattern seemed to assume I knew how to do that, but it seems to have worked out ok, I just need to get rid of the ends.
I really enjoyed doing these and plan to carry on adding to the collection between other projects.  I do have a vague idea of what I'd like to do with them, but I'm not sure I'll be able to figure it out yet. I might be asking advice!

Also, a tiny bit of progress on my stitching.

Not alot I know, but I do plan to crack on with this as I'd like to bully Steve into getting this and the home one framed and up on the wall pretty soon if possible.

Anyhow, I'm off to make a cup of tea and sit to help Joe with the Bible reading he has this week. Psalm 72: 1 - 20. Then I have to walk the dog and do some housework. 
I really fancy making some cakes as well today, but not sure if I'll have time.  We'll see. Not sure it would be helpful diet wise either, but Joe loves to bake, so might just have to be brave!

Hope you all have a great day!

:)

Weekly weigh in # 8

I can hardly stand to post this today, so shamed am I!!!!

I have gained 1 and 3/4lb!!! *CRIES*
And every last bit of it was deserved!   What with the meal we went for and the chocolate I gave into yesterday. I have no excuses, I am BAD! :(

I started off with good intentions. I chose the only salad on the menu ... little realising it would come laden with calorific sauces galore!

Of course, had I have brought my will power out with me, I could have scraped those sauces off and probably would have put alot less on, but no, I ate every last morsel and so what with that, the large glass of red wine and a sweet ... I was lost!

:(

Time for God.

I thought it was about time I showed you my cross stitching update as well.  I haven't done alot I know, but slowly and surely I'm getting there.

This is lovely to stitch and would be a quick one to do if I were concentrating on it and not distracting myself with crochet!

Sorry the picture is dark, I'm really not very good at getting a decent picture to show you.
I've been trying out some crochet with wool as well. My tension is rubbish, it all curls up badly.
There's just so much I'd love to do and learn though, if only I had the time. 

Things are getting worse at work for poor Steve. Everyone is sooo stressed and it's still been month to month. So the contract is until the end of this month.  Now apparently quite a problem over some work has arisen and things aren't looking good at all, so what will happen we don't really know.

On a better note, Tom has a weeks work this coming week.  We have to try and get him sorted with something by September if possible, so that we know what he's doing. He's thinking maybe trying to be self employed for a bit at least, to get something going as there doesn't seem alot around workwise right now.

Here's a random fact for you ... today Joe was reading one of our old magazines and informed me that there are around 90 different species of Kingfishers!
I have to confess my complete ignorance here and admit I just thought there was one ... the kingfisher as we know it.  (BLUSH).  I was amazed that there could be 90!!!
There! I bet you feel all knowledgeable now! haha.

Anyhow, I have an hour to myself, so shall I carry on with my stitching ... or do a little more crochet? 

Take care!

:)

Come look!!!

You can go ages with not much really in the way of bargains and then they seem to all arrive at once.
After I told you about those bargains on Saturday, I was well happy.
Then Monday was a really busy day for me and I ended up unexpectedly with some time on my hands while in the local town, so I used it to quickly pop into a couple of the charity shops.

I couldn't believe it when I saw a whole bag and a few loose, of used crochet threads!
Altogether it cost around £4.50, but look at what I got for it ...

I'm keeping my collection in this little basket. I think it looks so cute.

I am still in shock at seeing them though. It's not something I would expect to see usually and I just had to snap them up while I had the chance, although I did feel guilty about the money.

But anyhow, while we're doing pictures I must show you my plates. I was so pleased with them.

And also to add to my 'mismatched china'  which I just love, this little tea plate.

At only 40p this little lady just had to come home with me!



Oh, and my finished doily! Nearly forgot to show ...

I laid it out and tried to flatten it, but I really need to block it properly.  I think it's not too bad for a first attempt, but it won't be perfect of course.  The picots don't all seem to stand correctly. Maybe blocking properly would help but I'm just thrilled I even managed to do it and follow the pattern though!


And I also found this lovely pattern, although this won't be in use until I've improved ALOT in my skills.   You have to get these things when you see them though don't you.  (That's my excuse, so please agree with me and make me feel better about all these purchases! lol ).

So I think that's all for now.  Hopefully I'll get back to my stitching very soon, as I'd love to get that design finished and framed.  I just keep getting totally distracted by the crochet at the moment.

Take care everyone!

:)



Weekly weigh in # 7

SIGH!!!!

After a yummy BBQ with friends over the weekend, I had a horrible little surprise awaiting me on Monday morning's weigh in ... I put 3/4 of a pound on this week.   *cries*
I was so fed up when I got on the scales and this week is going to be difficult as well because it's the in-laws wedding anniversary and they want us to go out for a meal with them.
I can see it being hard to not have a glass of wine or something yummy to eat.

I'll TRY to be reasonable in my choices, but I can see ANOTHER new start on the horizon after next Monday morning's weigh in session.


On a more positive note though, I do have something nice stash wise to share with you ... so I'll try and get some pictures up tomorrow.
That should cheer me up at least!

Take care!

:)

Finished! and some bargains.

I've finished the doily!

I'm not sure it looks exactly as per picture, but maybe it will more so once it's blocked.  Yes, I haven't attempted blocking yet. I've been reading up on it and trying to decide whether to wash and then block it or spray it and block.  I just need to get on, stop dithering and try it.
I'm hoping I don't completely mess it up. EEK!

Oh ... and I was in the loft and come across a whole heap of wool that had been passed to me by my friends husband after she died and amazingly, as I was sorting through it,  I came across some crochet thread as well!
Only a small amount, but I was amazed to see any at all.  So now I have a heap of wool stash and some extra crochet thread I wasn't expecting!

I went to the charity shops today and ended up with some lovely bargains. I got two lovely plates for laying out sandwiches or things like that on, some ornaments for my bathroom, a crocheted bag, plus some oddments of lace and trimmings.
I saw some really pretty dinner plates as well, so pretty and delicate, but that will have to wait for another week.  All this was SO cheap as well, it made my day!

There were also 2 boxes of threads on bobbins (20p per bobbin) and a few bags of thread sets (coats / anchor) and a whole heap of cross stitch magazines at 50p each.  I wasn't able to get any of these but someone will get some great bargains there as well.

Hope you are all enjoying a lovely weekend.

:)