Crafty Round Up

As promised, here are a few images, projects and ideas that have been inspiring me/breaking me out in a sweat…

So simple and so effective chunky baby blankets…

Gorgeous tutorial, scrummy colours (for some reason vaguely reminiscent of ice cream but maybe that’s just pregnant munchies seeing pudding in all places…)

 

Do you ever have that moment where you have just read about something or someone and then suddenly everywhere you turn that’s all you can see? I’m having that at the moment with Charley Harper.

It started out as a needlepoint recommendation on Apartment Therapy

Which turned into a ‘wanna make this for my mum’ type manhunt…

 

Then suddenly he’s everywhere I turn…I jaunced myself to the Design Museum on Friday to see Mariscal and Supercontemporary (my love of maps of London knows no bounds) and positively salivated upon seeing this which I fear may have to be added to the list of ‘too good for the children that I know and therefore on my own Christmas list instead’:

  

The Mariscal exhibition, which I did not go specifically to see, was so much fun! There were three animated dioramas which were so silly and fun and silly and giggly and… well… fun! You can view them here. (The video is RUBBISH but you get the idea better than a still image! Hopefully they will upload one with better sound shortly.)

Then I got all excited about needlepoint generally and got some bits and bobs at the local car boot…

Must do something with that doily… inspiration here to plunder

And then I got all excited about mini needlepoint projects in embroidery hoops…

from this gorgeous shop

from this gorgeous shop 

from this gorgeous shop

Oh blimey. It’s probably just as well that I’ve got maternity leave coming up – I’m feeling a crafting flurry kicking in in time for Christmas pressies…

Oh glorious crafty-land…

I am always agog at the inspiration, talents, imaginations and output of all the clever people the world over who create, design and develop their various skills to beautify the world around them… I’ll be posting a crafty round up of little wonders when I’m not running for the train…

In the meantime, I’ve been busy myself but not sure it’s as talented or as evocatively photographed as the rest of crafty land…

:: stitching while I can still reach my sewing machine ::

:: continuing to grace car boot sales and buying rather more than I sell ::

:: baking up a storm for my sister’s British themed leaving party as she prepares to cross the Atlantic ::

And finally, talking of inspiring, talented, clever creative people, I thought I would share with you a fraction of the crafty-output from my mother, to whom I am beholden for my dexterity… She has jumped on her soon-to-be title of Granny (I’m carrying her first grandchild so the excitement is as yet undiluted by the reality of upchuck and never ending babysitting requests / 3am phone calls about colic and mastitis) and refurbished/recovered and generally spruced up the Moses basket that I graced nearly 30 years ago. The rocking base if from Freecycle and with a bit of elbow grease, they are now inseparable!!

As well as taking up her needles in search of all things tiny and soft…

My output is as yet not even close to hers, in skill, volume or the oh so important ‘cute factor’…

Unravelled

That’s it.

I’ve resisted for so long.

I’ve been cautious to avoid situations that would lead to over-exposure.

Then I was taken to Stitch n Bitch.

And I turned a rather billious shade of green.

And then I caught the bug.

 

I got taught how to cast on…

And then I was off…

And there was no stopping me.

And I took the plunge and started to attack the birthday present (from the wonderfully thoughtful godmother) with aplomb.

And I haven’t slept or washed in days… (that bit’s not actually true….)

And all I do now is frequent charity shop wool baskets and get RSI in my right wrist (to match the chronic seemingly unstoppable preggers-related lower back pain) and lust over Ravelry and break my keyboard with the drool.

Making & Baking

 

Drawing and colouring in for the nephew’s 2nd birthday.

PS It’s a Jumping Rope. Not a Skipping Rope. So sue me.

Lemon Fluff Cake with yoghurt and frozen berries.

Blueberry and cherry clafoutis to celebrate a good friend beginning a new career as a Secondary Physics Teacher.

Using up some old silk flowers to create a headpiece for a summer garden wedding (pics of the event itself to come – incredible detail in a gorgeous setting…). Can’t work out if I look achingly cool or a bit ridiculous. Could really go either way…

I also fear that I’m getting a pregnancy wattle, if this image is anything to go by… Perhaps the pizza in the oven for dinner is not the best idea…