A bit of home mid-week making . . . . . .

On my work table at home and for my makes in the midst this week, I found a little time to do some hand quilting, after doing some boring old chores.  In fact In my head that day I planned to do some crafting, so it made me do my boring things quicker!

This project has been a lengthy make in the midst, I knew it would as I wanted to make a quilt which was totally handmade, firstly, I English Paper Pieced (EPP) the squares of lovely fabric, which are in lovely shades of blues and creams. 

 This quilt is double bed size, in a favourite colour combination of mine,  it has appliqué butterflies which were firstly hand embroidered.   

Then by hand I sewed seed beads to make the trails of the flutterby's shimmer in the light.  Instead of binding I have made a crocheted edging in a mercerised thread, using a 1.75mm hook.    

I am now hand quilting around the butterflies to bring the layers together. A bit cock-eyed way of doing things, but I could not wait to do the crocheting, and I could not decide what design to hand quilt.  I love hand quilting, it is so relaxing, the world is your oyster regarding what design you use, and just stitch away.  I will certainly show once finished.  

Hope you like? 

Ramblings on my Mid-Week Makes - PART 2

On Wednesday 21st May 2014, I was in the process of making a circular granny crocheted cushion cover, which is a little different to the traditional granny, as there is an additional row in between your trebles. 

 This is a new Stylecraft pattern where you can make a square or round version. I also used Stylecraft Classique Cotton, which comes in an array of beautiful colours, so rather than be conventional and use what they say in the pattern, I decided to use all the colours and this is the result. I like it! 

 Finished cushion. 

The next make, is to be part of my new window display.  I try to change my window display following the seasons, I like to keep to a theme and make as much in the window as I possibly can, hence why I maybe do it seasonally. I am busy crocheting and making little summery creations and all being well I will be displaying my makes in the next couple of weeks. 

The daisy hearts are a pattern from Ravelry, which is for a dishcloth!! Ooh makes me go a bit hot to think my beloved crochet is being used to wipe my kitchen sides down!! The little roundy yellow and black thingy which looks a bit like a cork at the min, is eventually going to be a bee and is my own pattern.

A bit more crocheting for this weeks makes in the midst whereby I started a favourite pattern of mine the good ole 'Granny Stripe', the reasons for my love of this is due to the fact that I love the array of colours that can be used, how big my blanket will be? Shall I stop or just keep going, and going?  Then the decisions upon what edgings to do, oooh decisions, decisions cluster, lace, bobble, stripy?  I usually decide once the blanket is finished, every colour scheme quite rightly deserves a different edging.  

Hope you have enjoyed, keep crafty xx 

Catching up with Mid-Week Makes

I am getting there, I am a week behind, I will catch my tail shortly!  Last weeks Mid-Week makes, was the happiest of hookiness, for the past few weeks I have been working upon my summer window display, it plans to be buntings, flowers and pretties a plenty! I have decided that it will be all things summer! To me though part of summer is having a glass of pimms in the garden, do not think my shop being all about haberdashery and gifts would suit a pimms bottle!! (hee-hee) 

 My makes for last week were buntings, with all the commemorative World War I and D-Day, I thought a little bit of good ole Great British colours would not look out of place!! 

 Makes in the Midst – Bunting

Before having my shop, my makes were always for my home, turning it into a home of crafty collections. I have made my own curtains/blinds, covered lampshades, made blankets galore, cushions, bunting and lots of little bits and pieces. With having the shop, my time to do this has been drastically cut. I am not stopping though, this has spurred me on with my ‘mission to make’ my timetable has been tweeked, such that on a Friday and Saturday night I make for me! So on my sewing table at home this week is two patchwork cushions. Firstly, is a make in the midst from a couple of weeks, a hexi-bolster cushion, using the English Paper Piecing method I am winging it!!

 Hexi bolster 

Then for my second cushion, I have a great granny throw on my bed and finally got around to sorting my material stash, which uncovered some beautiful materials I did not know I had. When I found this colour scheme it would go perfectly with my "scarlett granny" throw. 

 Patchworky square cushion front . . .

And the back of my Patchworky Square 

Hope that you have a good week! Keep crafty xx

Ramblings on 'Mid-Week Makes', !!WARNING!! PART 1 OF 2

Thought that I would have a ramble on about my past and present mid-week makes, (I must warn this will be in two parts) to keep you up to speed and then hopefully do this on a weekly basis. For those who do not follow me on facebook, every week I have what is called ‘mid-week makes’. Every Wednesday I show my 'makes in the midst', hence the name. Then the plan is that on a Friday, I show my finished makes which is called ‘Finished Friday’. The point of this was to hopefully give me a little kick up the rear end to finish my makes a little speedier. It does work in principle, however as you know “Rome was not built in a couple of days”, and some makes take longer than others.

I am quite passionate about patchwork, I just love material and love having a stash of it too. Women love a stash, I hear it through my knit and natter groups. Us crafty folk love a good ole stash, whether it be yarn, material, threads, other crafty materials and things. My Mum has a pantry where she stashes essentials such as; toilet rolls, toothpaste, biscuits, chocolate, cakes, tins of foods, soap, washing powder and cleaning products. We call it her shop, you know that if you ever run out of something, we know that my mum will have one in her shop!! Crafty people are the same, I am sure when I say this that you may be the same. I admit it, I hide my stash especially from my husband, sure he knows though!  

A bit of my material stash, I am willing to share! 

In my stash I have material that I think is too pretty to use, so it has sat there in my special stash box for a good few years!! In my head I am awaiting that special project to then use it, which I know may never come! Never right!! 

Anyway back to what I came to talk about, my mid-week makes. I have had this rippling blanket of loveliness on the go for a good while, it has been a project that I return to when I am either inbetween makes, or my brain needs a little repetition.   I love the colours, think blues are one of my favourite colour, reminds me of blue skies and the yellow is a bit of sun peeping through the white clouds of fluffiness.

 Ripple blanket. 

It is not finished as yet, it is my ongoing project, as I want it to be the size of a double bed, so I shall continue the rippling journey.

My next weeks mid-week make was a BED RUNNER. I say this it will be a bed runner and not a blanket, a bed runner!!! I do start with good intentions and then cannot stop my fingers. I love the colours of this and I do love a crocheted cluster or too. 

 Harlequin Blanket. 

 All being well I will do a another post on this and jot the pattern down too. 

On Wednesday 23rd April 2014, I was and still am in the midst of my Hexi heaven patchwork. I love hexagons both crochet and patchwork. This is going to be a cover for a bolster cushion, I am not following a pattern, "just winging it" as they say. So this is my “proto-type”, hopefully it turns out like the picture in my mind. All shall be revealed shortly on hopefully my ‘Finished Friday’. 

 Hexi-Heaven

Then on Wednesday 14th May 2014, in the midst of patchwork heaven. I just get passionate with patchwork, I want to make it all. 

These little squares soon to be turned into triangles, were destined to be a cushion. I love this pattern and think that it has great potential as a coverlet or quilt! True to my word on that Friday I had a ‘Finished Friday’ woo hoo. I love it when a plan comes together it makes my Friday feeling the happiest. 

 

Think that is all for now, I do not want to bombard with too much in my little catch up session. Stay tuned to be continued/ . . . . .

Not a crafty one, but very cute!

I don't want to use my blog to dwell on sad things, but about three months ago my beloved little guinea piggy the beautiful Gloria, was called to the big clouds in the sky.  She is as we speak probably sitting on the softest cloud in the sky munching on some lovely green grass!  She was a lovely piggy, with a motherly nature, but was the boss too,  often scalding the younger pigs with a nudge of her twitching nose to place them in order.  I didn't have her for long, she was a rescue piggy who did not have a good start in life. I made sure she spent the remainder of her years munching on green grass and homegrown veggies - running free and squeaking to her little hearts content!  

My beautiful Gloria xx

I was not going to have anymore pigs, I rescued four from Petwelfare in Stafford, including Gloria.  These are my current piggy's;

Betty (the new boss)

Marjorie (an ole gal)

And last but not least the youngest scamp of the pack Marmalade!

So with the loss of my Gloria I decided no more, I get too attached and upset when they leave. However after much contemplating, I decided to add to my menagerie!  So I would like to introduce you to my new additions . . . . 

Peggy and . . . .

Winifred aka Winnie.  

For the past week I have been on "Guinea Pig watch",  as you have to ensure when introducing that no fighting occurs, so I have had a helper! 

Think there has been more watching of Mills.  A few little incidents, but now all is calm as the pecking order has been established.  

I love pinny gigs! xx

Monthly offerings . . . . .

On a monthly basis I thought that I would show you what has been inspiring me.  I must warn that as I am mainly a colours kind of a gal, these monthly offerings will be all about colour!  All colours to me are lovely.  I like to put unsual colours together and mix them around, you can surprise yourself what colours actually go together. 

This month, as we have seen a little bit more sunshine, I think the colour that has inspired me the most is Yellow,  I feel for some reason drawn to this lovely, sunny, happy, smiley colour.  I have realised that I have used mellow yellow in many a makes.  

Do you agree that sometimes this little happy colour is left out of the mix?  Today I am putting this little Yellow submarine centre stage!  I have wandered around my home, garden and craft room gaining inspiration from this funky little colour, preparing little mood boards as I go . . . . . . . . 

Whilst I have been out walking with my pooch, there is lots of yellows at the moment with the Rapeseed flowers soaking up the sun, love to see this.  Did you know that this lovely crop has been in England since the 14th century! Aptly it is also part of the mustard family.  Bit of general knowledge too from this colour!  

Well I'm off to do a bit of work on my 'mood blanket' (more on this later) using this pretty colour with a cuppa in my yellow tea cup, from my yellow tea pot!!  Keep smiling and give a wave to any a fine fellow in yellow ;) xx

Out with the Old and in with the New!

At last!!! I have finally managed to get around to the re-vamping bit. Thought it was time, as I started my blog way before I actually opened my shop. My ramblings on and on were not a very interesting read.   So it is "out with the old and in with the new", as they say. Don't you just love a quirky little sayings?

Here will be my ramblings as far as all things crafty are concerned. My shop although I love it, it is my dream and I love everything in it, and making for it, however, the general day to day running of it is not that interesting!! 

There is a little bit of a change in look, a new name "Just my Cup of Tea" by Miss Millicent, because I love Tea and everything contained in my blog will be "just my cup of tea" and also more importantly yours too. So for all you little craft bugs out there, my new blog will be based upon my re-vamped craft room at home, when the lights at Miss Millicent are dimmed (my work is never done - ahhh).  I return to what I have always known and that is making for home!   Being fully committed to the cause of crafting, I will document what I get up to and my makes.  Hopefully my ramblings will read a little more interesting. I hope!