A trip out with 1 and a half grandchildren ~

I did a bit more knitting, another head hugger and matching pin, which can be worn on the head hugger or lapel.

Aren't these little guys wonderful! 
Endangered sadly....
poison dart frogs, like this sapphire-blue species, are highly toxic. 
The brilliant colour serves as a warning to predators to keep away.

My daughter has 4 weeks to go before Baby Birth Day and here she is with her nephew at The Deep in Hull. 

If you click on this little chap below, you should be able to just see his face. These worms are a hoot to watch, rising up and going back down and menacing any neighbor who they think is too close to them.

They were fiercely territorial and pulled the most bizarre faces as they threatened others nearby. 

Can't recall the name of them, but such fiesty little characters all!

Today Good Friday has been a bright, fresh day 
...... and where was I? 
Duhhhh .... indoors!

The urge finally came upon me to change over bedrooms, to shift my workroom from the middle bedroom, to the back bedroom and to set up the spare bed in the middle bedroom ( again lol).
On a bright day when I should have been out catching the suns blessings on my face ....
I'm daft enough to be indoors shifting furniture about - what a very
<<<< silly woman

and now .. with serious back ache ( that double mattress was the last straw) I now have 2 bedrooms all upside down and a double bed in pieces on the split landings upstairs.
This is going to be a full long weekend job but in fairness, it needed doing.

 However .......... this sorting out and moving stash about has proved to me one basic truth .........

I should never, ever, buy any more fabric, yarns and threads, ever again!

I have enough, too much lets face it...........and its not all going to fit in the back ( smaller bedroom) and then there's the smallish overflow, that's beside my chair here ............ and in bags in the dining room.

So this weekend I'm going to be magically, fitting a lot into a little area.....  maybe even identifying what I can actually, really, truly, live without ~
and all that, when I'm not a member of the Magic Circle!
Maybe ... 

So far a pasta machine and what's left of my poly clay is in a box for the 'charity shop' but that's all - lol 

Framed watercolour, baby shower and vinatge bits

Ive just picked this up from the framers and am thrilled with it.
The watercolour picture itself was a gift to me from my pal Mary who was over from Perth, Au recently.
Bless your heart Mary!!

When I showed you the pretty handkerchief pocket
( and 'HAFKS' does seem to be an english shortform word for handkerchiefs, thanks to Jean for that info!)
I mentioned the car boot stall holder had said ............. you can have the lot for 50p
........ well these are the other bits, washed and ironed.

There's a long table runner with the two ends having deep lace edgings, which I think I will stitch onto a couple of odd vintage floral pillow cases I have.
Then two little tray cloths, both simply embroidered .... one quite charming with budgies on.
I think the tray cloths might make nice little features on cushion covers but all in all, not bad for 50p lol

I've just rehung my Mister Finch swallow and butterfly, I count myself very lucky to have bought these early on and for incredibly reasonable prices back then.
Mister Finch has gone from strength to strength and produces the most amazing creatures.
If you havent seen his work do pop across and visit him.
 http://mynameisfinch.blogspot.co.uk/

Yesterday was my daughters baby shower and we had a meal out at Ask in Hull - yummy yummy - and this was a gift from one Tylah's talented friends Summer.

Summer made cake 'balls' on sticks for Tylah's wedding and here you can see she made us each either a cup cake or a push up cake ( in the foreground), as well as the fun baby bath cake for Tylah to take home.

I didn't manage to go on the coach trip to the NEC shows afterall ......... the IBS flared up so I stayed home. : (
But Jean did go and you can see some of the things that took her fancy over on her blog, so do nip over and see the links and photos she's posted.

I love the hexi's she saw there, where the focus is on the inserts within them, so the back is the interesting feature and not the fabric fronts.
Inserts are all cut from cartons from drinks consumed whilst travelling ................. clever that!
jeansmuse@blogspot.com

Finished in good time for the new baby!

The baby blanket is complete .......... yeahhhhhh! 

After I took stock of all the ends of yarn to stitch in, or weave in and crochet over, well it was obvious it had to be a fabric edging.

I fancied pale lilac edging but Tylah asked for cream, to compliment the cot bedding. 

And I found a pale cream with a subtle, tiny, almost self coloured spot design on it at Hobbycraft, so ran with that. ( hugely overpriced mind you!)

I cut the bias binding myself - the first time I've ever done it. It may not win any awards but it will hide all those yarn ends thank goodness.

But I couldn't face machine stitching it over the knitting, even with a quilting foot which am sure would have made the job easier.

So I opted to simply hand stitch the edging in position .......... 

I know cowardly of me LOL 

but the simple running stitches do seem to suit the simplicity of the garter stitch.

Just as well this is done because I'm getting hexi withdrawal symptoms.... and have also had an urge to crochet something simple!

It's the NEC Sewing for Pleasure/Knitting & Stitches/ Hobbycraft trip out on saturday, with our EYES stitchy club and snow is forecast for both saturday and sunday - oh joy -

I am trying to decide what I really need to buy, what and who to look out for and whether I can justify to myself, buying anything at all...........yes, am sure you recognise the dilemma!

Watch this space ........ you know I will be taking photo's lol

Hakfs and a Bloglovin-we-can-go, ho ho ho..........

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I picked up this lovely little lacy edged pocket at car boot last sunday, it has the word Kakfs embroidered on the front. 
I asked its price and the lady said you can have them all for 50p ..... so I ended up with several vintage bits lol ........... all now in the wash and yet to be photographed.

I suspect the word is probably handkerchief but does anyone know what language it is please?
I have no idea what I will do with it of course. I may have to now find some old hankies to put in it .......... I must have some in my stash somewhere I'm sure!

                                Well in view of so many others adding 

                                 BlogLovin (or Feedly) to their blogs, 

so they can continue to catch the posts of the blogs they follow......

                                                I'm doing the same!


Google Reader will be no more (after june I think it is) so any blogs we follow via GR will drop away into the cybery ethers and we will miss out on ........... wise words and wonderful somethings from our bloggy pals!

So please, if you'd like to continue to follow along with me, would you also consider signing up for BlogLovin please? 
No, its free ! ...... and easy to sign yourself up to.

Okay ......... I managed it on the second attempt lol

Now I have to find out how to add a, 'sign up to follow', with an email link but I can't expect to necessarily crack two new things in one day .......  
so will try that one tomorrow maybe!

http://jeansmuse.blogspot.co.uk/

My pal Jean, blog link above, needs some help  ............
she's acquired a gadget off Ebay but doesn't know what its for!

Can you help her identify it please?
There's a picture there for you to look at ............. do pop over and take a look ............. !

I suspect its an early  prototype whisk and nothing to do with knitting or rug making at all lol

~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Speediebeadie and Chez Facile Cecile...sighhh

I seem to be beading crazy at the moment don't I !

I know its something I'd have hugely limited ability to do but 
I recognize brilliance when I see it ........... 

Go see the original post please where this wonderful dame is featured and see her reverse which is as amazing as her front........
you'll see what I mean LOL

http://speediebeadie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/dragon-rider.html

Isn't she great!!! 




and then what about this stitching below ?

Its utterly divine tho you may need the translator like I did!

http://www.facilececile.com/archives/2013/03/06/26584447.html



I'm in awe of both of these artists work.............go enjoy their blogs and feast lol

GPO phone box and a childs imagination at its best....

Altogether now......

Ahhhhhhhh........the nostalgia of the old GPO telephone box.......outdated now we have mobile phones but here was one seemingly still in use!! We drove through Lissett to Burton Agnes last weekend and passed this phone box in the back lanes.

In Hull we have an independant telephone exchange Kingston Communications and they have always had cream painted telephone boxes so youd recognise that they were different. 
They also have a strangle hold on the phone cables in Hull, so we do not have a choice of possibly cheaper alternatives like Sky or TalkTalk or BT! grrrr

My grandson last week stayed over and decided he needed an island to go with his sea and fishing game...so had me looking for fabrics to use for his sand and additional sea ( the silk scarf bit).
His idea not mine.
The pouffe was his island he decided and then told me to get sticky tape and 'leafs' and scissors and make him some trees.........
I love his very bones!!

Breakfast next morning and before the school run... 

Cheerios and jam on toast lol

Beaded beauties - Eliza McClelland - part 2

Yup............more beady bits lol above, alternative crazy patchwork!

Eliza jazzed up an inexpensive little bag above......elegant but not over the top.
This long narrow cushion was a black and white fabric and Eliza highlighted some, not all, of the flowers which made this a spectacular looking piece.
You can see clearly here the soup mix, of coloured beads that Eliza likes to use, making a wonderful shaded colour combo to areas. She picks a finger full of several shades of colour and mixes her own 'soups' that way.
And she also pops in an odd colour bead here and there......that's also a trademark of hers and it works so well!

 (It wouldn't fit in my bag dam it................lol) <<< joke!!

A fish panel on a velvet cushion...........

Great use of deco buttons

cute vintage Christmas cover or what!

But seeing these pics is only part of the story. Eliza performs a fun and interesting talk and draws you in, with her actress skills...........

sign her up for your stitchy group!

 I am sure you'll enjoy her too and revel in seeing her samples for real. We've had her visit us 3 times and that's surely proof of how good she is!

Some of our members work was displayed too......from this..

to this..

by Jackie Ward Lomax

by Ruth Pearson and inspired by an Eliza workshop weekend

An unusual knitted blanket by Val Wright, love the edging again.

Beaded beauties - Eliza McClelland - part 1

Our embroidery group meeting yesterday was full of inspiration with our third visit from Eliza McClelland who is an actress who beads.......she gives a full value talk, so if she's talking any where near you........get a ticket!

Eliza can be found at Ally Pally where she has a stall and she has also been to the Harrogate K&S show at the Conference Centre in November.
Eliza sells kits of some of her trademark insects and pansies and has a book too if your looking for a beady book to buy..

I took lots of pics...............lol so FEAST your eyes folks....
Think this was my favourite,  a cushion, but it can't be comfy to lean against surely, though this richly decorated, who'd care! 
It's simply wonderful!

I love the edgings..........

Eliza's trademark ladybirds above in a long narrow cushion..with just the one blue bug - made for her daughter.
My next favourite was an old cushion she picked up in a charity shop, the fabrics pattern all faded. Here's the backside of it..
so Eliza enlivened it with beads, so pretty.

Yummy or what?
This jewellery roll has tent stitch tapestry and beads in the design of the Queens crown and it is richly scrumptious with two long tassels of mink tails.

This below is the front and back of a vintage piece of tambour work, a collar that hung so delicately but if you've tried it, you'll know tambour work can be tricky to accomplish lol

This is exquisite mind you..

I liked this idea to jazz up a pair of gloves too.