tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28173909184554164582024-03-05T07:38:38.191-08:00By H with love...Crafting, sewing and creativity... Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-13391693644268642092015-02-22T13:48:00.000-08:002015-02-22T13:48:39.697-08:00Going to the chapel... Finally! So, as I wrote in a previous post, my sister is finally getting married in August after being with her fella for going on eight years... And I have just finished their wedding present...<br />
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My sister doesn't know that I write a blog so I thought it would be ok to show off her wedding gift...<br />
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My sister likes everything very modern and chic so she can be a bit of a nightmare to buy for because if it isn't 'just so' then you know about it! However, her fiancé has no problem with most things so they balance each other out!<br />
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I wanted to make them something that was unique but also timeless that, hopefully, they would keep for years and years. So, I came up with the idea of using a box frame and tiles to create their initials and the date of the wedding...<br />
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For the backing I went through my huge collection of papers I have got from magazines... My collection is HUGE because I don't really make cards but you never know when they could come in handy...<br />
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I chose a very simple and classy paper, cut it to the right size and stuck it to the back of the frame. The tiles were bought from Etsy from a shop called Button Lane (who were super quick and easy to buy through). The letters were from my stash!<br />
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And here we are... A present fit for a wedding? I hope so!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7mEMDP0G6F0/VOmzVJ7AP9I/AAAAAAAAEqk/9i24YV-s5AI/s1600/IMG_2293.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7mEMDP0G6F0/VOmzVJ7AP9I/AAAAAAAAEqk/9i24YV-s5AI/s320/IMG_2293.JPG" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-84354041805639117732015-02-20T12:03:00.001-08:002015-02-20T12:04:22.262-08:00Not just chocolate...
Easter is quite a big deal in my family. Other than Christmas it is the only time of the year that all the family get together for a big meal and catch up. Most of my family are based five hours away from me with one of my cousins having to travel just as far to get to see her family too...<br />
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At Easter when I was a kid chocolate was always exchanged and everybody, young to old, got an Easter egg. However, as the years have passed, and our waistlines have expanded we have become more aware that chocolate from all members of the family seems far too much so we usually find a little gift instead.<br />
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This year I wanted to make a little something for everyone...<br />
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My husband bought me a cross stitch kit from Hobbycraft as I had expressed an interest in trying out the art of cross stitch that he had excelled in. However, the kit lay dormant for sometime as it seemed very daunting.<br />
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After completing the duck and chick cross stitches (as covered in previous posts) I had a bit more confidence to work at the design for each person.<br />
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I decided to give personalised keyrings - all with a letter corresponding to their name.<br />
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I had ten to do.<br />
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I bought the acrylic keyrings from amazon (link below)...<br />
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When you unfold a huge piece of aida it feels so daunting... So I folded it into quarters making it smaller and easier to work with.<br />
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Following the pattern in the kit I started doing the letters... Some were harder than others... 's' was particularly difficult for me...<br />
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My other problem was that I needed to do something to hide the back of the keyring which was thin to fit with the aida... So I had at look in my box of crafts (an aladdins cave of craft odds and ends) and found some scraps of decoupage paper and thought this would work wonderfully.<br />
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These were trimmed down and fitted nicely into the keyrings... The aida had to be trimmed carefully as it was quite difficult to get it flat in the keyrings...<br />
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And here they are....<br />
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I am pleased with the results... And a few less calories than chocolate!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AVXJ4EE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00AVXJ4EE&linkCode=as2&tag=byhwitlov-21&linkId=G5F4IIRL5Q2LDJSI"><img border="0" src="http://ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B00AVXJ4EE&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=GB&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=byhwitlov-21" ></a><img src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=byhwitlov-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B00AVXJ4EE" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-76911616084538684552015-02-08T10:25:00.002-08:002015-02-08T10:26:25.901-08:00Quilting the family tree - part 1<br />
One of my other New Years resolutions was to finish my craft list... A list I made of all the projects I wish to do... I capped it on 31st December 2014 and it totals 49 projects... I am not allowed to add anymore to it until I have finished everything else... So many of these things will end up here I hope!<br />
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<b>Project 1 - Bird Family Tree Panel ... A work in progress</b>...<br />
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One of my local sewing shops in a place called The Viking Loom in York which has friendly and knowledgeable staff and the most amazing range of quilting materials and fat quarters... I could spend most of my monthly wage in there...<br />
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They also have a few kits that they have put together for those people who just need a bit of inspiration...<br />
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And this is where my latest project comes in...<br />
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As with previous posts I am a bit daughter-centric at the moment so when I saw the family tree panel in the Viking Loom I simply had to do it.<br />
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The main panel is printed with easy to follow instructions and it was accompanied by a backing fabric and something to frame the main picture which was helpful.<br />
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I did buy another panel of the birds as we have a lot of extended family - you'll see what a feat it was in the end!<br />
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The first, and probably the most timely job was the embroidery of the names. I did try and write on the fabric but it bled too much so I went for the more time consuming option...<br />
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This option is still going... This is another work-in- progress... I hope to complete it in a couple of days... Unless I get distracted!
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For those of you that don't live in York look at the Viking Loom website which is one of my favourite links to the right...
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBSzOc5yx1k/VNIO2rNTPHI/AAAAAAAAEe4/yiTGy0O6XGc/s1600/IMG_2244.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NBSzOc5yx1k/VNIO2rNTPHI/AAAAAAAAEe4/yiTGy0O6XGc/s320/IMG_2244.JPG" /></a>
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<script type="text/javascript" async defer src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js"></script> Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-37929761796496521462015-02-01T13:57:00.000-08:002015-02-06T12:47:17.027-08:00A personal A to Z! At the moment my mind is very much turned towards my daughter and things that she might enjoy or help her learn about the world around her - so I apologise for there being a second post that is baby-related!
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Although she is only 16 months she loves reading and letters of all kinds so this is how I came up with this latest little project : Sophia's Alphabet
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The first of all I made the list of everything for each letter and picked out her grandparents and pets and then added other familiar items from around the house to fill up the other letters.
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I then took photos of the items and printed them off.
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These were then trimmed and stuck to some coloured card (cut to size to fit in a card storage box I had found!)
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Carefully I wrote the corresponding letter on the front next to the photo and then wrote the name in full in the back (in my best writing!)
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The cards were then covered in sticky back plastic to make them last a bit longer as my daughter is definitely at her most destructive at the moment!
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And here is the complete set...
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<script async="" defer="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script> Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-71732816009314998672015-02-01T11:25:00.001-08:002015-02-01T11:26:14.655-08:00A Sunday with a difference! One of my many New Years resolutions was to make use of the stacks of recipe books that adorn my kitchen shelves especially as I now have a bit more time at home to actually cook proper meals for me and my husband... My daughter usually has the leftovers for her lunch the next day so doesn't miss out...<br />
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Sunday supper has always been something we have always had traditionally as something big and bold. It harks back to the days when me and my husband worked at a school together and, because it was a boarding school, we used to frequently be on duty over the weekend meaning that we wouldn't see one another until Sunday evening... So a tradition was born.<br />
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I usually do a roast - something that has taken many years to perfect (something my husband can vouch for!) but for this Sunday I was asked by my husband to do something that resembled a fry up ... But slightly healthier!<br />
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So, the books came out and after a merry hour of scouring the shelves I came across The hairy bikers Perfect Pies book (see link below!) I love Si and Dave and they had a sausage and bean pie topped with potatoes... So I took it one step further...<br />
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You need: an onion, sausages, a tin of baked beans, potatoes... (I added mushrooms, chopped bacon, black pudding)<br />
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I boiled the potatoes until they were cooked but still firm. I cooked everything else (bar the beans) on the grill and, once cooked, put it all in an oven proof dish, added the beans and covered the top with potato.<br />
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It then baked in the oven for 20 mins until the beans bubbled...<br />
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And then....
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Vz-x32BNPc/VM568nm0HaI/AAAAAAAAEaE/o-sdIfgEinQ/s1600/2015%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Vz-x32BNPc/VM568nm0HaI/AAAAAAAAEaE/o-sdIfgEinQ/s320/2015%2B-%2B1" /></a>
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It was delicious... And serves three... And look at the rest of the book... Whoever said that cooking wasn't an art form obviously had never tried doing it!
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The link to the book:
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0297863258/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0297863258&linkCode=as2&tag=byhwitlov-21&linkId=FA2IWQZFKYI3RWH7">The Hairy Bikers' Perfect Pies: The Ultimate Pie Bible from the Kings of Pies</a><img src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=byhwitlov-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0297863258" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />
Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-28986607535767883052015-01-31T13:36:00.000-08:002015-01-31T13:37:22.160-08:00Maid to order... My aunt is a volunteer for the National Trust and, at Christmas was asked to do a cooking demonstration to make mince pies.<br />
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My mother told her that I have made a few hats and things in my time so got in touch with me to make her a mop cap.
After getting her head measurement (and scouring local haberdasheries for white cotton - not easy!) I then had a scoot around the Internet and through a stack of books and combined it all to come up with a pattern that was 1) easy to do and2) something I could post and adapt if needed.
My biggest thing was trying to find something that was big enough and round enough to draw around so instead had to use the tried and tested compass method I was taught many years ago at primary school... Using a pencil, string and a drawing pin stuck into a mat!
I then cut out the template pieces (two circles of equal size) and then drew on two small circles to guide me when it came to elasticating the cap.
I then sewed around the outside edge of the circle leaving a gap to turn it inside out. It was then pressed. I then sewed the two lines for the elastic.<br />
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I measured the elastic and carefully fed it through the cap.
I was surprised how quickly it came together. I then sent it on to my aunt.<br />
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I wish I could show you a photo of my aunt in her full volunteer gab but she is a tad camera shy so you'll have to do with the photos I took of it before sending it to her...<br />
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p.s shameless advert.... I also make these for my etsy shop...
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ED5ys8jsqjo/VMkC1WEvCAI/AAAAAAAAEWg/hlZxxHcMoDg/s1600/2015%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ED5ys8jsqjo/VMkC1WEvCAI/AAAAAAAAEWg/hlZxxHcMoDg/s320/2015%2B-%2B1" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ly-QW6C3Ic/VMkC1W_TQKI/AAAAAAAAEWo/DNe4XWK4yIE/s1600/2015%2B-%2B2" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Ly-QW6C3Ic/VMkC1W_TQKI/AAAAAAAAEWo/DNe4XWK4yIE/s320/2015%2B-%2B2" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-69636524137473281772015-01-21T04:31:00.002-08:002015-01-21T04:32:33.527-08:00Back dough-ing my thing... At last! I cannot believe how long it has been since I last wrote on my blog... But a lot has changed since I last wrote...<br />
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The long and short of it is that I have changed job so work less hours for more money (work that out) and get to spend two whole days with my gorgeous daughter which I wasn't able to do beforehand.<br />
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I still seem to work in the evenings but that is more my thing rather than work making me...<br />
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However, the upshot of all of this means I now have more time for my hobbies: crafting, reading and cooking... And coming up with weird and wonderful ways of doing all three!<br />
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As a house move will be happening in the next three months (something I loathe!) I am trying to get myself prepared for events which might just coincide with boxes moving west of the country...<br />
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So, I also wanted to combine some of the crafts I do with things that my growing and ever more curious daughter could enjoy with me. And here is our first joint venture (which doesn't involve too much mess!)... Salt dough!<br />
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I found a recipe while surfing the net and was taken in by the fact you didn't need to bake it for over 3 hours ... Instead you bake it in the microwave.<br />
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It comes from www.rainydaymum.com<a href="http://www.rainydaymum.com"></a> - a brilliant site that has all kinds of activities to keep kids busy.
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So... Me and and little girl mixed the dough together and I let her play with it for a bit too as what 16 month old doesn't like to get their fingers covered in sticky goo?!<br />
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We then roughly rolled out the dough and cut the main shape using a large cookie cutter and then a smaller one to cut out the middle. (I did have to stop my daughter trying to eat the middle bit at this point!)<br />
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The shapes were then heated in the microwave in small batches (although the larger the batch the longer the initial drying takes) once the shapes were solid I then put them on the radiator to get rid of any extra moisture that the microwave couldn't do!<br />
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A couple of days later (after laying down an old shower curtain as floor protection) we got out an assortment of water based acrylic paints and brushes and I let my daughter do her stuff!<br />
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After the shapes were painted they were air dried on the radiator.<br />
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I then applied a couple of layers of sealant which was also air dried.<br />
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As a finishing touch I added some bakers twine for a hanging.<br />
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So here they are: a great present for relatives and so quick and easy to do!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JaoB_KaLodI/VL9yNqD0bHI/AAAAAAAAEOo/W0aVNuLJiiA/s1600/2015%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JaoB_KaLodI/VL9yNqD0bHI/AAAAAAAAEOo/W0aVNuLJiiA/s320/2015%2B-%2B1" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-14853075410667502032014-09-24T10:57:00.000-07:002014-09-24T10:58:20.937-07:00Paid to craft and create! The usual mixture of family get togethers and then returning to school (as a teacher) always seems to impact the amount of crafting that I try to do.<br />
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However, being a school technician (with particular attention to costume and props) it does mean that occasionally I get to do some crafting as part of my job (certainly a perk).<br />
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With every new school year comes new school productions and my boss has been thinking about doing Hamlet as part of the School Shakespeare's festival. The festival is in theatres up and down the country and schools rehearse a thirty minute version of a Shakespeare script which is then performed in a local theatre. On the night of performance three other schools perform their plays on the same night as yours. This is my fourth year of doing it and I quite enjoy it. (See link for more info!)<br />
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My boss has decided that she wants Hamlet to have a modern vibe to it and wanted the musicians to have birdcage veils... And here lies the project!<br />
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After finding out the proper name for them I researched where one could lay their hands upon the french netting that is used in such headpieces and found that I would have to be parting with quite a bit of cash as it is quite a specialised material in millenary circles.<br />
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My disappointment quickly disappeared when attending a fete at the weekend and my daughter won a massive tennis ball and it was contained in some netting that would make a perfect substitute for the french netting I so badly needed.<br />
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Back at school I sprayed it black and was impressed how good it looked.<br />
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This was then attached to a cheap poundland head piece and then spruced up with some black net that was in stock.<br />
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I am pleased with the result and have made two for the show... If only I could be paid to craft everyday!
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_acMmaXLWU/VCMFf9jkrjI/AAAAAAAADhE/BHt38mEvQp0/s1600/2014%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_acMmaXLWU/VCMFf9jkrjI/AAAAAAAADhE/BHt38mEvQp0/s320/2014%2B-%2B1" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTTiTzFDl2Y/VCMFf16uOZI/AAAAAAAADhM/X9D9thavOZw/s1600/2014%2B-%2B2" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wTTiTzFDl2Y/VCMFf16uOZI/AAAAAAAADhM/X9D9thavOZw/s320/2014%2B-%2B2" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-46874124534520368462014-07-22T11:24:00.000-07:002014-07-22T12:32:05.455-07:00The quilt is finished... The big reveal! So... It has finally been done...<br />
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And what a journey it has been...<br />
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Once all the panels were finished I stitched them all together to make the complete front of the quilt.<br />
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I then cleared my living room to make enough space to lay down the backing, wadding and front panel on the floor.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SHjx6DU0bGs/U86qQ46GtvI/AAAAAAAADQo/1NFZl2eDtXE/s1600/2014+-+2" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SHjx6DU0bGs/U86qQ46GtvI/AAAAAAAADQo/1NFZl2eDtXE/s320/2014+-+2" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFb53LC54Oc/U86qQzsmnGI/AAAAAAAADQ0/WfzwcvfzvgI/s1600/2014+-+3" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cFb53LC54Oc/U86qQzsmnGI/AAAAAAAADQ0/WfzwcvfzvgI/s320/2014+-+3" /></a>
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And then the grand pinning project began...<br />
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Once pinned it was on through the sewing machine...<br />
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The weather has been extremely hot in Yorkshire which, I have found, is not conducive to sewing quilts in a windowless room shared with a smelly tortoise... Endurance didn't cover it! There must be an easier way too to get a quilt through a machine like mine... Though I am surprised how well it coped. There is nothing worse than stuffing a half made quilt through a machine when most of it starts on your lap, you are pricked to death by pins and the weather is 30o outside!<br />
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Since I last wrote I have recieved the walking foot for my sewing machine. And what a god send it has been. As readers of my blog will know that when I did my last quilt I broke a stack load of needles while using a regular foot and it was a complete nightmare. My life has now been transformed with this foot. I haven't puckered the fabric once and it worked like a dream... The link for the one I bought is below!<br />
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I then carefully pinned the re-ironed bias binding to the outside edge (while trimming the excess fabric along the way!)<br />
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That was then sewn... I don't know about anyone else but I love this part as you know you are on the home stretch... And it seems to go a lot quicker than the quilting bit... But it is not as hot either!<br />
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And then it was a quick trim or two and TA-dah! The quilt was finished. I am pleased that it is finally done as it was a long time in the conception and the actual practice but all a labour of love. I will be travelling down to my parents at the weekend to give it to them and can't wait to see their faces when they see it...<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen... The anniversary quilt!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-xOxNnmsKM/U86qRlDQ9WI/AAAAAAAADQc/bt4SHW8paOw/s1600/IMG_1685.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7-xOxNnmsKM/U86qRlDQ9WI/AAAAAAAADQc/bt4SHW8paOw/s320/IMG_1685.JPG" /></a>
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Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-43494984329121042372014-07-18T01:20:00.000-07:002014-07-18T12:08:52.679-07:00A Guard Dinosaur of my very own! My husband has been sewing again... Something he always does by hand as he doesn't trust my sewing machine... Not that he can get to it at the moment due to the large quilt that is currently being pushed through it!<br />
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I bought some fat quarters of fabric for the bow tie project a couple of months back and in amongst that material was some fabric with dinosaurs on it. To him, this was fabric Mecca and thought that he was his duty to use it.<br />
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So he designed a dinosaur that, once finished, would sit on my side of the bed during the day and 'guard me' during the night...<br />
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The whole idea of 'guard dinosaurs' is one that has been around many years - in fact, since me and my husband moved to Yorkshire. I bought him a dinosaur when he was unemployed to cheer him up (he never grew out of loving dinosaurs!) and as a bit of a joke he said it would guard the bed and him at night as it would make sure I wouldn't steal the duvet... And so the Guard dinosaur was born...<br />
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Even my 10 month old daughter has a Guard Dinosaur (who is apparently called Terry) whom she plays with in her cot when she awakens at some unearthly hour... Something which is all too frequent at the moment!<br />
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So, 'Eric' my Guard Dinosaur was made. He is made of two contrasting fabrics (easily purchased from Hobbycraft) and drew the outline of the dinosaur on the wrong side of the fabric.<br />
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He then sewed the two main body pieces together with the wrong sides facing leaving a quarter inch seam allowance. He then added the contrasting fabric pieces and then turned it inside out.<br />
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He stuffed the dinosaur with off cuts of wadding and toy stuffing which I had in my scrap boxes (something I am grateful for as I MANY off cuts from quilting projects!)<br />
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The rest of the dinosaur was then sewn together.<br />
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My husband then chose some buttons for the eyes and added some google eyes onto the buttons.<br />
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And there you have it... I introduce to you: Eric!
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9NMZuZXPns/U8fRQzC348I/AAAAAAAADOA/gJf6dqep1zU/s1600/IMG_1632.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9NMZuZXPns/U8fRQzC348I/AAAAAAAADOA/gJf6dqep1zU/s320/IMG_1632.JPG" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-33220909870820472902014-07-13T01:42:00.000-07:002014-07-13T01:42:15.922-07:00Quilting against the clock... Part viThe last couple of days have been manic in quilting terms...<br />
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I spent most of Friday cutting out, bondaweb-ing and sewing the remaining squares for my parents quilt. I have also been appliquéing as if my life depended on it!<br />
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The weekend was taken up by my daughter (10 months old and on the move!) so it meant that I could only do the finishing touches in the evenings after she had gone to bed.<br />
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I have also been hindered in terms of equipment. I have recently ordered a walking foot for my singers sewing machine as I hope I won't snap as many needles as I did when I last made a quilt! I am still awaiting its arrival! ... That and another foot which has a quarter inch setting which will be perfect for the edge of the quilt... I will let you know how/ if they work!<br />
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However, in more positive terms I have bought the remaining fabric, the backing, the wadding and the bias binding which means it is just the finishing touches to pin and cut...<br />
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But, I am now excited as I can feel how close I am to finishing... And within my deadline too... But I must be patient as I don't want to trip at the last hurdle...<br />
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I hope that my next post will show the finished product... As long as I don't get distracted as I am already looking to my next project...Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-9558460822943076822014-07-09T10:08:00.002-07:002014-07-09T10:11:00.889-07:00Quilting against the clock ... Part vAfter the success of the peacock a few squares ago (and managing to not stick too many pieces to the iron which happens far too often when I have very small pieces to work with!) I thought I would tackle what seemed to be the most complicated square (and I hope I have judged it right!)<br />
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While looking for pictures that would be suitable to transfer to a quilt I loved that I found a map of the USA with a Stars and Stripes on it which encompassed my parents trip there a good couple of years ago.<br />
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I have found the best method is to bondaweb the material first and then cut out the shape... It helps to battle against fraying on the slightly thinner fabrics.<br />
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I have also discovered that it is useful to put a couple of tea towels under the fabric as well as having a few pieces of calico handy to place on top of the square too... I saves from burning anything... I hope!<br />
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I use a little travel iron for all my quilting needs... It heats up super quick, cools down ok and is perfect for doing smaller stuff!<br />
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I had to take a photo of the original picture before I cut it up and I am sooooo glad that I did! There is nothing more scary than being faced with a pile of fabric strips and not knowing the order of them...<br />
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This square isn't quite finished though... I realised I could bust a gut doing the stars on the blue background but realised I certainly didn't have the time (or possibly the patience) to cut out all the stars individually out of the white fabric (which frayed around the edges which was not ideal)... So, I have cheated and bought a square of it off ebay...<br />
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I am currently awaiting the square so I can finish this panel... One more 'country' square to go... Three letters and five 'project' ones to go too...<br />
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Oh... And 18 days to complete it? This is going to tight...
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ffoNQtq4J1M/U7114aLwCBI/AAAAAAAADJI/RNZXPnq_2Ho/s1600/2014+-+1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ffoNQtq4J1M/U7114aLwCBI/AAAAAAAADJI/RNZXPnq_2Ho/s320/2014+-+1" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-49395735699538893392014-07-08T08:06:00.000-07:002014-07-08T10:10:22.461-07:00Feels like summer...I am now on my summer holidays (I am a teacher in my normal guise in a six day a week school!) so have finally been able to get around to finishing some jobs I have wanted to do and also been able to spend a bit more time on some projects that I have had for a while too...<br />
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I took a leisurely stroll around my local supermarket and saw they had an accessory sale so I had to have a look through them... And another fascinator was born!<br />
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This particular specimen started its life as a necklace, a hair clip and a hairband with some feathers...<br />
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And with a bit of silicone glue and imagination it has turned into this!<br />
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I'm undecided whether to sell this one or wear it to my next occasion... I think it has a nice summery feel so might look good at the races or a BBQ... But then again, I don't need much if an excuse to wear a fascinator!
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Wwtj4VLdUw/U7vtFU9mZzI/AAAAAAAADIk/1yi0NJOcFnE/s1600/IMG_1605.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9Wwtj4VLdUw/U7vtFU9mZzI/AAAAAAAADIk/1yi0NJOcFnE/s320/IMG_1605.JPG" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-5108399265082625992014-07-03T11:54:00.004-07:002014-07-03T11:55:29.129-07:00Quilting against the clock... Part ivWell, it has been a few days since I lasted posted... Work got in the way meaning that time I could have spent doing the project was spent behind a follow spot at a school concert!<br />
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I couldn't wait to get started on this next square... The kiwi for my parents very recent trip to New Zealand...<br />
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I couldn't find any brown fabric that I liked so I got some brown felt as I thought this would look okay.<br />
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The picture was another cartoon I found and it was easy to cut into blocks... A lot easier than the previous ones!<br />
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The biggest challenge for this was the felt as the bondaweb didn't particularly like being stuck to it so I did have to use a few more pins than previous squares.<br />
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This was an easy appliqué job too... So it was quite satisfying to complete it in a shorter time than usual!<br />
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Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-59404689047252679592014-06-23T13:43:00.000-07:002014-06-23T13:43:48.440-07:00Quilting against the clock.... Part IIIAfter spending a lot of the previous evening appliqué - ing I had a finished panel... Only another 12 to go plus the extra filler, backing, wadding, edging etc!!<br />
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The next on the list was the peacock to symbolise my parents trip to India as my mum couldn't get over the fact that she had wild peacocks to look at every day!<br />
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The picture I found had a lovely big tail and didn't seem too difficult to cut into colour blocks.<br />
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I have been able to use scraps and off cuts of cotton for this one ... The blue is from the off cuts of the massive quilt that I made for my husband... The green is from the bow tie project at school and the silver is from the previous lemur leftovers!<br />
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The cutting out of the fabric was slightly more fiddly than the last one... There seemed to be more small part in this one than in the last one.<br />
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The crest of the peacock will be finished once I have appliquéd it... Something I plan to do tomorrow night... I can't wait as I am really enjoying this project so far!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rlv3yWbb_E4/U6iQ2nZQcXI/AAAAAAAADBQ/0sG1MLU-w2U/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rlv3yWbb_E4/U6iQ2nZQcXI/AAAAAAAADBQ/0sG1MLU-w2U/s320/IMG_1536.JPG" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-79933217508067905852014-06-22T10:41:00.000-07:002014-06-22T10:43:36.925-07:00Quilting against the clock... Part IIUpdate: My parents are not having their wedding anniversary 'do' until 26th July... This is a small mercy and I am grateful I have an extra week to work on the quilt.... It is still pushing it though!<br />
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The first square I wanted to tackle was the lemur one as I had found a picture that I wanted to follow.<br />
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The picture I found had lots of block colour which I could easily spilt for ease of appliqué...<br />
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Each of the designs was drawn onto the fabric and then bondaweb was ironed on the back. This was a particularly good move as the shiny silver fabric was very slippery and frayed easily so the bondaweb kept it together.<br />
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Before ironing on the main body of the lemur I back stitched the design of where the legs and paws of the lemur are...<br />
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I then cut out the main face and ironed them on the cream square.<br />
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Bit by bit I pieced together the black and white tail. This was a long and fiddly process and took a lot of concentration.<br />
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This is it so far... I need to appliqué it now...more updates soon...
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ra45q6pdQXo/U6bjR0ujBXI/AAAAAAAADAc/yA4V98L1qHw/s1600/IMG_1530.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ra45q6pdQXo/U6bjR0ujBXI/AAAAAAAADAc/yA4V98L1qHw/s320/IMG_1530.JPG" /></a>
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Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-16781143947855170952014-06-22T10:26:00.000-07:002014-06-22T10:26:31.622-07:00Counting the flags...One of the many joys of writing this blog is seeing the diversity of people who read it...<br />
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For any of you who are regular readers I have now added a flag counter down the right hand side...<br />
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This is more for my benefit than anything as I love that my blog is not just read in my home country but around the world...<br />
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Thank you everyone - it brings me so much joy!Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-43335839889425550372014-06-21T05:09:00.000-07:002014-06-21T10:37:14.634-07:00Quilting against the clock... Part ISo, I finished a massive quilt a couple of days ago. And said that I would leave it a while before I embarked on something so big again especially as I have a busy term at school with three school productions and a young daughter who needs my attention.<br />
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Well, that has gone out of the window!<br />
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My parents will have been married 11 years in July and they are the absolute role model for a marriage made in heaven! My step father has stepped in and been a great father figure and my mum is so supportive and willing to drop everything for me even though she lives over 5 hours away.<br />
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So, I thought I would design and make them a quilt. And I have until 17th July to finish it... Now that's what I call a challenge!<br />
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My parents are just about to redecorate their bedroom so this was a great starting point for the design and I asked my mum to send me a sample of their wallpaper.<br />
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As you can see the wallpaper is cream with a deep red and gold... So I went to have a look around my local haberdasheries to see what kind of fabric might fit this scheme.<br />
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I found a few fabrics that fitted the criteria nicely so I then started sketching what I wanted to do.<br />
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As it is mega personal to them I wanted to include some designs that would reflect what they have done together and places they have been so the top half of the quilt is all the diy projects that they have done around the house and the bottom is all the places they have been.<br />
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The design is relatively simple as I am still on the basic square quilt thing.<br />
The quilt, when finished should measure the same as a double bedspread... Enormous really! So, with lots of maths I worked out how big each of the square should be allowing for 2cm on each side for seam allowance. (41cm if you are interested!)<br />
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I made a template out of cardboard and cut it so I could have the outside edge and the seam allowance.<br />
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I was fortunate enough be browsing around my local haberdasher when I spied some cream cotton on sale so had to buy it as I was certainly not going to find it any cheaper.<br />
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It was then the pain staining drawing out... Not an easy task when you have a very small dining room table!<br />
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And now I have a pile of squares!<br />
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This is as far as I have got... I hope to post more as the squares progress and as each one is completed... And fingers crossed I may get it finished before the 17th July!Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-13132873166631317062014-06-20T12:42:00.000-07:002014-06-20T12:43:12.907-07:00Glitter and feathers...Just a quick one this evening... I finally found my other creation with feathers for hair...<br />
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I particularly like this one because of the sparkle...<br />
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This is also on etsy...<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VmpdQ10NwA8/U6SNwz3l1jI/AAAAAAAAC9M/iQSUd2Q6wy8/s1600/IMG_1515.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VmpdQ10NwA8/U6SNwz3l1jI/AAAAAAAAC9M/iQSUd2Q6wy8/s320/IMG_1515.JPG" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-28256494842575795992014-06-19T05:28:00.001-07:002014-06-19T11:03:46.784-07:00Butterflies and bling...So, I may be getting a bit of an obsession with fascinators ... I seem to want to make a lot of them but I then have to sell them because otherwise the house will really be over run by feathers and bling!<br />
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My latest creation is another one with butterflies but this time to go on a hair clip which I picked up and thought might make a nice headpiece.<br />
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I did a lot of different drafts of this one as I could not decide which side the feathers should go on.<br />
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All the feathers are stuck on with silicone glue which, I have to admit, is one of my new favourite things... It seems to work with everything and doesn't have the white residue that seems to be left when using superglue.<br />
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I am really pleased with the results - so pleased that it is now for sale on my etsy page (see side bar for link!)<br />
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Definitely more of a back-of-the-head accessory rather than a side one!<br />
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A second one will follow... I just can't find the picture...<br />
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Again, this is available in my etsy shop!<br />
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I was recently asked to run a make do and mend workshop with a group of sixth form students at my school. They would have an hour with me and I would teach them what a sewing kit was, how to thread a needle, how to sew a button and how to make a simple material bow....<br />
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The pattern came from a Mollie Makes special - DIY Fashion...however, I did change it slightly as in the tutorial it said that the ribbon should be glued... I made it all by sewing the ribbon at the back...<br />
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I found some really nice Union Jack fabric to make the bows with and asked the students to use back stitch and slip stitch to complete their designs...<br />
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The seminar was highly successful... Even though one of my students did try and knot the thread at BOTH ends...<br />
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I have been making a lot of bows now to go in my Etsy shop as I think they would make wonder shoe clips, hair accessories or clip on bow ties! Check them out!
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcGtf8Z1YHY/U6HQzT8FS9I/AAAAAAAAC78/IKpOzGLyywU/s1600/2014+-+1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcGtf8Z1YHY/U6HQzT8FS9I/AAAAAAAAC78/IKpOzGLyywU/s320/2014+-+1" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-15868247830668597442014-06-17T12:47:00.000-07:002014-06-17T12:48:23.838-07:00Looks like rain...Following the success of my first ever cross stitch I found in the back of a cupboard a small duck cross stitch...<br />
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I was surprised how satisfying it was to slowly chip away at this one and kind of wished that I had some long train journey to go on so that I could finish it sooner.<br />
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My biggest challenge was sewing in white on white aida... Next time I would get some small squares of black aida... But I am yet to find this in small qualities as I would rather not buy one that measures a metre each way!<br />
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I am pleased with this little guy ... And my husband keeps on threatening that he will buy me a bigger one to do soon.... I have many projects currently on the go so hopefully the threat should not come to ahead yet!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaUjffwPpWE/U6CaOR_CeWI/AAAAAAAAC7E/lKoDAr3ZkCs/s1600/IMG_1506.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xaUjffwPpWE/U6CaOR_CeWI/AAAAAAAAC7E/lKoDAr3ZkCs/s320/IMG_1506.JPG" /></a>
Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-18452856790741933002014-06-16T05:24:00.000-07:002014-06-16T11:05:47.140-07:00Taggie anyone? My daughter is now nine months old and is now heavily into exploring the world around her. As a mother I hope to give her things that she can enjoy in her play time. <br />
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I came across this tutorial on how to make a Taggie which has different ribbons for a baby to explore. It also crackles - and my daughter LOVES things that crackle!<br />
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The project is easy to follow, simple to do and cheap to make...<br />
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It is the perfect project for using up small squares of fabric too (something I have in large quantities!)<br />
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The project did not take long at all to complete either which made it a good project to do of an evening when I just wanted to sew but not spend too long on it.<br />
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The website is: <a href="http://www.cucicucicoo.com/2014/02/how-to-make-crinkle-taggie-baby-toy/" target="_blank">How to make a crinkle Taggie from cucicucicoo</a><br />
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My daughter simply loves it! She finds it fun to bury her face in it and laugh very loudly - oh how I wish how her brain works!
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCWYQfqSGKg/U57g4dtJ_4I/AAAAAAAAC6g/RK1Ca4QzHYE/s1600/IMG_1504.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vCWYQfqSGKg/U57g4dtJ_4I/AAAAAAAAC6g/RK1Ca4QzHYE/s320/IMG_1504.JPG" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-30994494112980401582014-06-07T11:20:00.000-07:002014-06-07T11:20:25.021-07:00Sock puppet pigeons... I find my job frustrating at times - mostly because I have very little time at home at the moment and seem to be bogged down in office politics and jobs that seem to take forever to complete.<br />
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However, this week I had a minor blessing in the fact that a pigeon needed to be made for a play... And it needed to look a bit kooky...<br />
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I got some inspiration for the pigeon from the sock monkey I made a few months back. And bought a cheap pair of knee high socks in grey and set to work.<br />
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I find the best place to start when trying to make a sock animal is to cut the foot part of the sock first and then add to it with the rest of the sock.<br />
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The toe top was manipulated into the head and then the bottom tail was then formed by some creative cutting and sewing.<br />
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The two wings were made with a few cuttings from the socks too...<br />
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I stuck on eyes, beak and pipe cleaner legs and secured them with silicone glue as they had a weeks worth of show to survive.<br />
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So this is Duncan... Long story but he was named by one of my work collegues...<br />
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Has anybody else out there made sock puppet pigeons?! <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6H4HNZgM9vQ/U43MdWw0EkI/AAAAAAAAC10/mc33fTAp0pI/s1600/2014+-+1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6H4HNZgM9vQ/U43MdWw0EkI/AAAAAAAAC10/mc33fTAp0pI/s320/2014+-+1" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2817390918455416458.post-71727101577218096402014-05-22T11:42:00.001-07:002014-05-22T11:43:22.034-07:00Home sweet home cross stitch...I love getting free gifts... I just don't like them if it means I can't complete the project myself!<br />
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This happened about six months ago when I came across an envelope which was quite obviously a free gift from one of my many crafty magazines. It was a cross stitch of some bird houses... And the pattern was nowhere to be found!<br />
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So, it was quickly shelved in a cupboard - out of sight, out of mind!<br />
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A couple of days ago it saw that my husband was stitching ... And it was something small that I didn't recognise and asked him what he was doing... It was the free cross stitch and he was using the picture on the front of packaging to do the pattern...<br />
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Thankfully, him being a seasoned cross stitch whizz meant that he could at least guess where the middle of the aida was and could just about match up the colour blocks.<br />
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The finished item is a little bigger than the coasters that he did yet too small to put in a frame... Any ideas?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dyfP80T1u64/U35E5gauSZI/AAAAAAAACzs/RPsbKJOwZRQ/s1600/2014+-+1" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dyfP80T1u64/U35E5gauSZI/AAAAAAAACzs/RPsbKJOwZRQ/s320/2014+-+1" /></a>Helen heatonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18173724407666843215noreply@blogger.com0