(Hang) Spring cleaning.

'Hang Spring cleaning!' (said the mole in the Wind in the Willows), after working very hard all morning cleaning his little home. This line always comes to me whenever I attempt a bit of Spring cleaning, because my cleaning efforts never last very long...just like mole I'm ready to throw down the duster and brush and bolt out into the sunshine, without even putting on my coat!

Cornwall's bright gorse calls me away to bright coastal walks...

 Unfortunately,  the first rays of sunshine do like to highlight the incredible amount of clutter and cobweb that the old farmhouse seems to attract like a magnet. So nothing for it but to  attempt to clean bit by bit, starting small, I thought. A quick tidy of my little sewing room then I could intersperse the cleaning with some sewing as an incentive. Shock- I realised that if I was ever to sew anything again this year, it would require a major Spring clean! 

There are no 'before' pics!

After several bursts of sorting-in we go!

At last I could see the wood for the trees...or at least actually walk in! The chair is from my mother, from my grandmother's set of four with table, given at her marriage in 1900. It's a little creaky but at 115 years old it's not surprising! 

Sorted my little 'Quartier des bonnes affaires' ('Bargain corner' in French). I've placed one of my daughter's wedding centre pieces in the corner so I can remember the day whenever I'm in there. The 'Good needlework' picture is the front of a 1930s magazine that belonged to my mother. 

Little wall storage cupboards sorted-East of India gingham ribbon and vintage thread reels from my mother's collection.

Buttons finally sorted, bottled and shelved...

Love this pin cushion storage jar made for me by a crafty friend.

Cleaning up your sewing room it's inevitable you will unearth a whole load of WIPs! 

At last-a clean sewing room, all ready to begin!  Really should start by finishing those left projects but got waylaid by some cute Cath Kidston hexies:

 ...and soon found lots more!

Hexies are so addictive-I love playing around with all the variations you can make with simple 'Grandmother's flower garden'

Summer cushions are coming to mind...what would you make?

So finally a clean sewing room and lots of projects to begin. Lots more Spring cleaning still to be done, but for now, just like mole, it won't take much to tempt me away out into the sunshine!

Have a lovely week,
Best wishes
Alison xx

Winning crochet!

I could not contain my excitement when I heard I was the winner of the Stitch Craft Create crochet motifs competition. I feel so honoured to have been chosen as winner with my Spring hens motifs!

It was wonderful to receive this fabulous bundle as my prize!

The competition was organised by Stitch Craft Create to celebrate the publication of 'Hooked!' a fabulous new book all about crochet motifs. The designs are whimsical and original -can't wait to get going on them.

Think I'll start with this really cute hedgehog!

It was so lovely to receive the yarn bundle as well as the book, such lovely colours all ready to be crocheted up. I can't thank the judges enough for choosing my little hens, especially as there were other lovely designs as well-if you have a moment do watch the video displaying the winning entries-see it here: 
 Stitch Craft Create crochet motifs competition 

If you are crafty you may know Stitch Craft Create ; I use it often especially for inspiration-many crafts are covered with fabulous ideas, a plethora of patterns, ideas and projects as well as free downloads! The site covers sewing, knitting, crochet and other crafts and has an extensive shop. 

Of course I was delighted to win and it is rare for me to enter any kind of contest- I've never been much interested in competition...who wins is not important.  We should empower each other to develop our individual skills,  this does not have to be against each other. So proud  then that since last summer when I set out  to 'Get back to crochet'   I have proved to myself once again that we can develop our skills by practice, getting a little 'further down the road' of what we are choosing to do. 

The greatest reward is that it has really inspired me to enable others to share this wonderful craft. My plans therefore, for the yarn bundle are to save it for a new project I have in mind...teaching crochet classes. A couple of groups of lovely ladies have already asked if I will do this and although I've been a teacher for all my career I was waiting to build my confidence with crochet a little more before diving in! I would also like to introduce the wonderful primary children to whom I teach beading to the delights of crochet...we may be able to add crochet techniques to our beading repertoire!

Beading Club

So thanks again to my little hens-lots of projects planned to use them for but I think I may just frame them to remember the moment!

Hope you are having a lovely Easter. Here's a little card I made to send to a French friend of many years:

'Joyeuses Paques' is the French for Happy Easter-Paques comes from the Latin 'pace' meaning 'peace', a lovely thought.

Best wishes

Alison xx

Mother's Day crochet flowers

I have been working on creating a crochet flower corsage over the last couple of weeks. There is an abundance of patterns for this purpose-the crochet flower is more than well documented! However, I wanted something that was exactly right as I wanted a special flower for today- Mother's Day. 

I no longer have my Mum to give flowers to,  as she passed away three years ago now. Mother's Day was always such a special time for her-I think this went back to when her own mother was a parlour maid in service in the late 1890s-servants would be given the day off to go 'a-mothering'. Whenever we would journey anywhere on Mother's Day and traffic was busy, Mum would declare, 'Oh they're all off a-mothering!'.

Above is one of my favourite vintage photographs-my mother as May Queen, in 1932 aged 14, the year she left school. She always said the roses were so heavy she remembered almost dropping them!

I wrote a few months ago about how my mother of the bride outfit for my daughter's wedding was a tribute to Mum's wartime bridal outfit with  three carnation corsage. Mum loved flowers- her father had been a keen gardener and she too was green-fingered. Once when I was at primary school I came home and could not find her anywhere in the house. Finally I went out into the garden and located her in the greenhouse potting and planting, having completely lost track of time, like an artist deep 'in flow'! 

Roses were her favourite and she had the complexion of an English rose, so my Mother's Day tribute is a pretty rose corsage. The basic pattern I used can be found here. As I used 4 ply cotton and a 2.75mm hook with the measurements suggested the rose would come out a little small so I adjusted it starting with 75 chain-this gave me 36 delicate petals. When assembled the flower measures about 3in across, just right for a corsage.

My daughter spotted them and asked for one each for her Mother-in law and Grandmother-in-law. She chose the candy pink and lilac ones and I made a little gift box for each:

The gift boxes were made from the new Sizzix Bigz XL gift box die -it makes a cute box perfect for jewellery items etc. I decorated each with the birthday cards I made earlier in the year.

Finished off with a hand stamped tag and organza ribbon they were all ready to go:

Hope the two lovely ladies they are intended for enjoy them!

I always miss my own Mum but I am blessed in being a Mum myself and have had a lovely day being spoiled with flowers and books-my only dilemma is which to dive into first?

Hope you have had a lovely day!

Best wishes

Alison xx 

Spring crochet motifs

Thank you all so much for such kind comments about my crochet makings for the family. Their accessories have still been well worn but we have had some milder weather this week and definitely the beginnings of Spring! 

Along with rabbits, chicks, flowers and eggs,  in Spring we often think of hens strutting around in verdant pastures. It has been a while since hens pecked around our old farmhouse but my kitchen has plenty of reminders of times when they did:

I'd love to put this board outside but sadly wouldn't have any to offer these days!

A shabby old chicken who looks like she has been there since the 30s! With French pottery bowls.

I like this proud strutting rooster-he is a fabric print.


With thoughts of Spring in mind I had the urge to create some cute Easter crochet motifs. 
 So my first fun make was some cute hens:

Here they are, strutting among the tulips.

To make them I used Patons 4 ply 100% cotton-I really like this for motifs. It has a lovely feel and  lustrous sheen to it, I used a 2.75 mm hook as I crochet fairly loosely; the gauge doesn't really matter but for an applique the crochet fabric needs to be fairly firm. Her legs were a bit tricky but once I got the hang of them I couldn't stop making them! 

Her wing shape is embroidered on and her eye is a French knot.

Well having begun with hens I had to follow with chicks... I wasn't happy with the shade of yellow in my favourite Patons though, I just had to have something brighter, more of a chick coloured yellow! My search led me to Susan Crawford vintage cotton. There I found 'Canary' the perfect shade-as yellow as an egg yolk! Oh Susan though you now have me hooked on the quality of this gorgeous yarn and I want to make all your vintage designs in those mesmerising colours!

The chicks were easy to make but again, beaks and feet are a bit fiddly...a bit of practice to get them uniform but on the other hand each does seem to have its own character!

These designs were from the fabulous book' How to make 100 Crochet appliques' by Deborah Burger. The book uses American crochet terminology but I have now learned this by heart as I could no longer miss out on the fantastic patterns that come from our American friends! Now I know it it actually makes perfect sense!

The author has designed a plethora of fun motifs in themed sections-something for every occasion; I really want to make them all!

So how shall I use my hens and chicks? I had the intention of using them for Easter cards but my daughters suggested they would look cute on a tea towel or teapot cosy! Any suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

So like my chicks, Spring is springing in Cornwall...some sweet primroses on my rockery. 

Have a lovely week,

Best wishes

Alison xx

Valentine crochet

Happy Valentine's Day!

I've been doing some lovely crochet making for the family this month. First I started making some little crochet hearts-such a simple thing but wow-what an abundance of patterns you can find for these, like most crochet motifs there are many ways of making them. 

So I decided to take on board several ideas/patterns, tried them out and finally came up with one that worked for exactly what I wanted. Using Paton's gorgeous 4 ply crochet cotton which is so lovely to work with. I used a 2.75 mm hook and the heart comes out at approximately 5cm-delicate and slightly lacy but with a firm fabric: 

Then I couldn't resist making more in different colours as they were so cute!

I used ten to make some mini-bunting:

I tried it out in the craft room:

Then realised I need to tidy up my pin boards!

We have had such a mix of weather over the last couple of weeks in Cornwall. There was what I can only describe as a 'trifling' of snow-literally for us a few flakes although the North coast did get a bit more. Then a few days of literally the 'summer in February' which inspired the film title-(by the way if you haven't seen this- do- especially if you miss Matthew Crawley from Downton!!) 

See the trailer here:

Summer in February

I can definitely verify that the beach scene where the weather is described as 'Summer in February' is true-last week I was absolutely roasting down there, shedding layer after layer. Then this week my head almost froze as the waves lashed in throwing up all manner of flotsam and jetsam! Running for cover is not an option when you've strode out (what seems like) miles with the dogs, so being prepared for all eventualities is a must! 

So I decided I would make my lovely husband a hat and fingerless mitts for the walks.

I was a little afraid that he would not think crochet was 'masculine' enough, but when I found a pattern using the 'manly granite stitch' he was hooked! As for colour,he had already commented on his fascination when I was making a shawl recently, with yarn which changes colour as you go, almost disbelieving! So this King Cole Riot chunky was perfect:

The stitch looks almost like a knit!

It crocheted up really quickly and soon hat and mitts were done.

Off to the beach in them he went and has been wearing them ever since! I was quite pleased with myself as I haven't crocheted anything for a male since 1974. There is somewhere a (very faded and vintage by now) photo of said scarf with 'Stoke City' stuck on in felt, being worn by the recipient of this labour of teenage love, but best leave that story for another time! 

My sweet younger daughter had also been getting frozen on the dog walks so I sought out a more challenging than usual pattern for a slouchy beanie and mitts which used gorgeous Debbie Bliss Luxury Donegal tweed aran  using 'Midnight' as she loves blue. The pattern was perfect for getting a tweedy look and the hat and mitts are so warm for her. The mitts are very long-arm warmers really which she says are ideal but with fingers free for getting out dog treats!

Ah the joy of doing handmade for the family! I'm glad it's cold for a little longer so I can enjoy seeing them wear them!  Have you made anything for family members lately?

Well hope you have a lovely Valentine's day, full of love, laughter and family joys,

I'm off to catch up on some of your lovely blogs-see you soon!

Best wishes

Alison xx

New Year birthdays

Hello and hope your New Year has started well. Already we are almost at the end of January. Usually I look forward to a quiet month of reflection and general clearing up after the seasonal rush. January this year has been busy but I am making as much time as possible for crafting! 

Last year I gained so much pleasure (and therapy) from my making and especially with those items designated for friends and family. As I went through the design and making process of my Christmas makes- crochet scarves, hand warmers, brooches and headbands I was thinking of the recipient in every stitch. As I carefully chose fabrics for little cosmetic bags and 'tea wallets' I imagined how the recipient would use them and what a joy it is when someone speaks of their appreciation and enjoyment of the item, truly heartwarming.

Each New Year I have a plethora of family birthdays and for the last couple of years have planned to hand make my cards. So far this had not actually happened-there never seemed time before the birthdays commenced (on 6 Jan) so as usual, I ended up rushing out to buy what I needed, then, just like the Christmas cards I planned to make and did not find time for, was never really happy with the commercially produced cards available. So for this year's birthdays I was determined...things shall be different! 

So at the start of the month I set to like a dervish with a die cutter, 'The beast' (aka as the Big Shot Pro) has been lurking, awaiting the moment when it would produce wonderful shapes from various gorgeous papers I haven't been able to resist collecting over the last couple of years. I am so guilty of hoarding craft tools and materials unused. Are you? One of these was a Sizzix flower die. Putting the flower shapes together was so much fun using delightful creams and pink shades. Choosing cute buttons to go in the centre was too! I also love butterfly shapes -these mini ones are made from a Sizzix die for jewellery designs.

With lots of female birthdays coming up-what joy it was using gorgeous colours. 

Aren't we ladies great to make for?. Easy-such a plethora of prettiness possibility! I decided to focus on themes of pinks with cream and green accents, adding the butterflies and flowers. Here's one I made for a sister-in-law:

   

Next was a female friend. I used the same flower in different shades and a hand stamped sentiment: 

The background papers are by Graphic 45.

Then I found some clear stamps (stashed and unused so far!) and tried out some layouts.

I tried some tags as well-why didn't I use these before?? The gorgeous vintage 'butterflies and moths' stamp is by Tim Holtz.

Adding some cute mini flowers, leaves and buttons -isn't this a lovely sentiment? 

Then...came the challenge. The dreaded 'man card!' Why is it that men are so difficult to choose presents and cards for??

The eldest brother-in-law was to be 65. Yes! I thought. I have numbers-cutting die by Tim Holtz I'll do a 65 and go a bit vintage...hoping he wouldn't be offended!! 

As the brother-in-law has always enjoyed visits to Cornwall I thought nautical would be a good bet and popped a few ideas on my paperarty Pinterest board, Oscar's Loft. 

Let's go for a hand stamped stormy sea, with a lighthouse.

  It came out a bit too stormy!

Ah well I hope he liked it!

So at last I'm using some of my crafty stash and have finally actually made some cards.

See you soon!

Best wishes

Alison xx

Liebster Award!

Hope you are well and still enjoying the run-up to Christmas-it's almost here...are you ready?
How time has flown these last weeks and due to general 'busyness' which I'm sure many of you will share at this time, I'm disappointed not to have been able to catch up on my blog and visiting others-will be catching up as soon as I can! 

A couple of weeks ago I was absolutely delighted to have been nominated for a Liebster Award by my lovely friend Anne of Crochet between Worlds. If you haven't seen this blog do pop over -it is run by both Anne and Michelle who live on other sides of the world-Anne in Germany and Michelle in Australia! They post the most gorgeous crochet work and information along with snippets of life from both countries.

'Liebster' means 'favourite in German, and being nominated gives you the chance to answer a few questions about yourself to help others get to know each other, then nominate your favourites to do the same. Here are my answers and I am looking forward to nominating and finding out a bit more about others!

1. What is the name of your blog? And what does the name mean? 

I am fortunate to live in a Cornish farmhouse built in 1750. The house is full of character and reminders of times gone by when people lived a simpler life. I like to think of all the traditions that went on here over the centuries, particularly seasonal traditions and crafts. 

2. How many blogs do you follow?
Probably about 40 but I tend to concentrate on far fewer than that so I can keep in touch with my favourites on a more regular basis. One of the aspects of blogging I really value is the shared friendships that have come my way this year which I wrote about in a previous post here.

3. Do you have a creative soul? 
Very. I just have to create-I am only fulfilled when I have made something and will try out and modify something many times before I am truly happy with it. I like to think I am creative in all aspects of life as well-there are always other, more exciting ways of seeing and doing things-everything evolves.

4. At what age did you learn to crochet or knit?

I wrote a post about how I came to crochet here, being inspired by the 70s craze when at school and a shared love of crafting with my mother. I can knit but for me crochet is easier and a lot more fun but I do admire those who knit so brilliantly and wish I could!

5. What are your future projects?

The list is just too enormous!-I absolutely love making and have a lot of projects on the go all the time. Having re-developed my crochet this year I am working on improving my skills and have lots of plans for accessories, I just love the feel of wearing something I have crocheted myself and am making for friends and family too.  I also love paper crafting, altered art and rubber stamping -I like designing tags so there are some of those on the go. Sewing has probably been my favourite craft of all and the one I do most so lots of plans there for clothes, gifts and accessories.

6. Why do you blog?

Something I had wanted to do for a very long time- to record my makes, share snippets about life in Cornwall and learn from like-minded people.   The catalyst was when a lovely lady Dorothy of Dorothy's Room encouraged me to go for it.

7. What will your Christmas look like this year?
Hand crafted as much as possible with evergreens gathered from the garden, hand sewn and crocheted items for my daughters and friends which I will share with you in the New Year.

I love period drama. My Christmas afternoon treat will be a back to back DVD 'Downton-fest'. I always disallow myself from watching this on TV as to wait for it it is a real treat -with chocolate!

8. What are your plans for 2015?
I always wish for safety, health and happiness for my family and others. The first two we can aim to protect and the third is for us to realise. I already craft until my hands almost drop off but more of that, more of my family's company, embracing as much beauty as possible and of course many more walks with my beloved dogs! The simple life, really.

9. If you could travel anywhere, which 3 places would you visit and why? 

Paris. I just love, love love the City of Light. History, culture, fashion, design, the French language, literature, vintage romance-what's not to love? 

America. I always dreamt of the 'Green grass of Wyoming' -anywhere that horses are a feature -I would love to stay on a horse ranch.

Scotland. It's my heritage and I have been many times-my father was from the North East coast and it's really in my blood. He was a Gordon Highlander. My mother thought that was why I ended up living in Cornwall-the Celtic influence.
Can I add another one as it's Christmas? Lapland- I want to dash through the snow in in a 'one horse open sleigh' and feed a reindeer.

My father Charlie was born here in Cullen on the Moray coast, in a little cottage at top right of photo.

10.What made you smile today?
My little dog Oscar. He is just the cutest little creature ever-I never knew little dogs could have so much character and be so much fun. I only have to look at his little face and can't help but smile. He devises ways to run off with my ball of wool or latest bit of crochet all the time.

11. What do you do on a rainy Sunday?

Rainy Sundays are made for crafting, reading and soggy dog walks- -we get plenty in Cornwall-bring them on!

If you read all that lot well done and many, many thanks!

I would like to nominate the following 8 super blogs -do pop over and visit! Bloggers please answer the 8 questions in a post and post the 'Liebster' logo to your blog, then nominate your favourites!

Ellie at http://feltabulous.blogspot.co.uk/
Christine at http://patchworkallsorts.blogspot.co.uk/
Deborah at http://thebeautifulmatters.blogspot.co.uk/
Helen at http://helenphilipps.blogspot.co.uk/
Jacqui at http://livingwithethel.blogspot.co.uk/
Maria at http://dinkidots.blogspot.co.uk/
Rita at http://wvpanoply.blogspot.co.uk/
Also http://forgetmenotsblue.blogspot.co.uk/

Your questions:

1. What is your favourite craft?

2. What is your home area like?

3. What's your favourite childhood memory?

4. Do you have a day job and if so what is it?

5. What is your favourite animal and do you have any pets?

6. How are your happiest days spent?

7. What are your dreams for the future?

8. What is your favourite quotation?

Thanks again Anne and Michelle-looking forward to exploring your nominated blogs over the holiday.

Have a great week of Christmas preparations everyone!

Best wishes

Alison xx