Whose Shoes?

Any ideas?

Shiny, red and very clippy clopppy. 

Go on have a guess.

Just for fun.

I wonder if anyone will get it right?

Hoot!

Hoot - I have finally finished my owl jumper.  Just in time for my holiday to Cornwall.  This is actually my second owl as the first one was huge.  All entirely my fault as I didn't do a gauge swatch or any of that malarkey so I Percy Vera'd (persevered) ripped it back and started again.  Second time round took longer but I am really pleased with the finished result.  It fits and I like it.  Success.  I have struggled to get good photos but here they are.

A parliment of owls

Hoot

I might add button eyes but only to one owl not all of them

Poor photos sorry the light is just fading and grey on beige is rather bland

One last Hoot Hoot

Details

Owls - by Kate Davies

Wool - Katia Alaska from Heaths Country Store, Ollerton

I am really please with the result and SHOULD have learned my lesson to always do a tension square.

A baby hoot - how cute!

Whilst I knitted my jumper Nellie knitted this for Betty's friends baby Isla.  Isn't it cute.  I am not sure what the pattern was called but I do know it was a free one from Ravelry which Nellie modified a little.

Off to pack now going away to Cornwall - yipee - nearly all clothes slung into IKEA bags just got one more sleep then we are off.  I will be wearing my owls jumper so say hi if you are in the St Ives area next week. 

Round and Round

Yesterday I nipped across to see Louise at the Studio.  I haven't been far the last few days as I have had a stinky cold.  Actually we all have.  K started the day he broke up from school in typical teacher style.  Well all term - feeling yukky for half term hols.  Never mind we are all on the mend and looking forward to going to Cornwall at the weekend.  We are all going including Betty's BF Antanon and Dyl the dog.  Yeah we can't wait.  Anyhow I have digressed I nipped to see Louise for a natter, a cuppa and a spot of sewing.  We decided that I would have a bash at the Roundie cushion from the Liberty Sewing Book.  Because Lou likes me (haha) she let me look in her precious stash of fabrics from THE BACK ROOM.  This is Louise's inner sanctum where she keeps all her treasures and her own works of art.  I/We chose some vintage eiderdown fabrics and a splash of vintage Sanderson fabric.  I followed the instructions in the book very carefully.  I am rubbish at following precise instructions and tend to rush in but not this time.  I read carefully and measured carefully.  The cover was too big and too full.  I took out a couple of sections from the cushion and reduced the length of the strips by 10cm.  Now I do know that I am not alone in this because the lovely Mandy had previously made the roundie and found it worked up too big for the size of cushion pad recommended. Boo Mr Liberty check out your patterns please.  This wasn't the first pattern I have made up recently to find a few anomalies I made the Cathedral Window Cushion from the CK book and found a few flaws although when it was finished it was really petty albeit mega time consuming.  .Anyhow I was delighted with the finished roundie and was positively giddy when it was all stuffed and primped and preened and buttoned.  Want to see.  Ok.

swoon

so pretty.  vintage eidy, sandersons and vyella

what a little cutie a roundie pin cushion

Ah roundie love.

Louise and I proclaimed it to be a success.  Lou made the baby one to match. 

So if you are going to have a go at the roundie and want to use the cushion pad recommended I would make the strips 45 cm long and not 55 cm.  I also took out some of the width from the fabric as it seemed too full and didn't show off the fabric so well but I suppose this is personal preference. Have a go though its great fun and I can honestly say it did take a little while to get it just right and I didn't think I was going to like it much but I did I was positively giddy. By the way I made my own inner.  Two circles of lining fabric with a gusset to give the cushion depth (which I think is essential) quickly whizzed together and stuffed with light poly filling.  I find a cheap way to buy stuffing is to buy the cheapest bed pillows from Ikea.  Its light and fluffy and cheap as chips - about £1.75.

If you would like to have a go at making whether you are a proficient maker or someone who has never used a machine before do pop along to the Studio and have a go - I promise you will love it.  Louise is a very friendly talented lady who has everything you could ask for at hand and guess what, more often than not, I am there too and I make a mean cup of tea! I'm not bad on the old sewing machine either.

Hope to see you soon!

Oh and if there happens to be anyone out there that would like me to test their patterns then let me know - I love a challenge!

POST

Today I received a beautiful gift in the post.  I have been lucky again and won another giveaway this time from the lovely and very talented Daisy Moon.  If you haven't had a peek at her blog then I suggest you do.  Would you like to see what I got?

How pretty.  Spotty tissue and pretty ribbon.

Beautiful hand stitched flower brooch.  Gorgeous soft vintage fabric and teeny tiny neat stitches.

Spotty dotty back.

Lots of buttons - did you know I LOVE buttons. 

Little letter tiles that spell hand made.

Close up of the faded fabrics.

Thank you so much Mandy for the  beautiful giveaway prizes that came on a day when I needed a little pick me up. 

Perfect Peachy and So Exciting.

I have been bursting to share this news with you all for a looooooong time.  Dotty Angel and Ted and Agnes are coming to hopeandelvis.com.  Please, please go and take a peek at Louise's website to find out all the details.  If you leave her a message please tell her Miss Debs sent you.  You could also have a look on dottieangel.blogspot.co.uk.  How perfectly peachy.  I am so giddy.

Clean up the House

Today the sun has been shining and it really has given me the cleaning bug.  I have hoovered, dusted, cleaned the windows, scrubbed wallpaper of the walls, washed the front door frame, cleaned the step and washed the roof.  What, washed the roof.  Yep.  I really was in the mood for a good fettle.  Would you like to see the results.

See clean roof, clean windows, shutters, step and gables.

Isn't it lovely.

Two up and two down.

The windows are tin and have tiny catches that really work.

Ready for a little decoration.

Nellie and I were in town today as Nell had another hospital appointment.  The plus side to this is that the hospital is not a million miles from good places to have lunch, browse individual shops and several charity shops.  Oh and a wool shop.  Nellie has been a little bit out of sorts recently with one thing and another and today I gave her a challenge.  I said I would provide her with some wool/supplies and she could make some items with it ie. tea cosies, egg cosies, granny square cushions, dolly blankets.  She is going to open a Folksy/Etsy/Ebay type store and try to see if she can make herself some pocket money.  Anyhow we headed towards the Wool Baa, it was shut, then we had lunch at the Greedy Greek.  Yum.  If you are in Sheffield pop in for one of their wraps.  We had falafel and salad and it was delicious.  On the way back to the car we stopped off at St Luke's Hospice shop.  We didn't go on the way to the wool shop as we were both needing the loo.  We were just about to leave the shop when a lady walked downstairs with the doll's house.  I stopped in my tracks and nudged Nellie.  I then followed the lady and she placed the house on a chair and an elderly lady had a quick look.  Damn and blast it I thought.  She has already got a buyer.  I bet she comes and buys all the doll's houses blah blah.  The lady glanced and then walked away.  I almost ran over and said 'can I have a look please before you put it in the window'.  It took me and Nell about 10 second to say 'yes please'.  We were so giddy.  The lady in the shop was delighted that it was going to a good home and she said that she had seen me follow it down the shop.  Just think if we had gone in on the way to the Wool Shop we would have missed this beauty. 

Nellie and I are delighted with our new home and can't decided whether we should repaint the outside or not.  We are going to decorate the inside with floral papers, pretty bedding, tiny granny square cushions etc.  So what do you think - to repaint the outside or not?  Answers gratefully received.

We had a quick look on the internet at is was made by GeeBees of Hull arounf 1950/1960.

Oh I forgot to mention our real house is a tip and in desparate need of a good fettle but I will not be washing the roof!

Strange

Evening all - just a quickie has anyone else got 'strange' stuff on their blogger dashboard.  I have tons of 'stuff' on mine from a blog I don't follow.  It's all about advertising and blogging and marketing and all that baloney.  I don't want it but don't know how to get rid of it.  Do you think it might be anything to do with the changes Google have made about sharing info!  Any information gratefully received.