Cheap as chips...

I collect things... a variety of things... without even realising sometimes that I do....

After rummaging around for fabric for some curtains I want to make, I came across a stash of crochet doilies that I have been collecting from charity shops. The work that has gone into these is amazing. I think my intention was to piece them together and make a tablecloth, but I never got enough. So I decided to make candle holders to go on the mantlepiece in my work-room. The result is rather lovely if I do say so myself and they cost next to nothing to make.... cheap as chips!

I've used jam jars for three of them and a vase for the larger one... the doilies are just stretched around the jars and sewn together.

Today is a grey, rainy day... so my photograph of the kaleidoscope blanket is not taken in the best light. At the moment I am trying to square it off and get it looking "blanket-shaped".

Sending some of this blanket rainbow colour your way x

Rainbow magic...

Dreaming...

I'm having such a lovely day today... it started off with reading the thoughtful comments on my last post over a cup of tea. Sometimes I like to know who is commenting so I click on their name and check out their profile. This is exactly what I did with Frances of City Views, Country Dreams and I am so glad I did. Frances is from Manhattan and her writing is beautiful and all engrossing... I spent at least an hour going through her posts and immersing myself in her New York tales. She lives near Central Park and visits there regularly. When we got married in New York we spent a lot of time in Central Park and her blog brings back so many memories of our honeymoon time there. As a cash-strapped couple at the moment, we cannot afford to go back to New York just yet, but reading this blog reminds me of wonderful memories and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself - thank you Frances.

I couldn't bear to peg the washing out on a rare sunny day
after discovering this spider had taken up residence...
I thought I would let him enjoy his rather impressive
haul of flies and use the tumble dryer instead....

I've also had a move around at home and created a little blogging corner for myself... this consists of a £5 table and an Ercol chair overlooking the garden. I love it! Watching the birds as I catch up on blogs and do bits of work is wonderful. We are fortunate to have a view of a row of silver birch trees and they look magnificent this time of year in the sun.

Today I went to view a beautiful 1930s house - my husband doesn't know this and he claims not to have time to read my blog, so it is just between you and me. Ohhhh, it was a beauty! This is definently my era and it was pretty much untouched from the day it was built. Unfortunately there was simply too much work that would need doing to make it habitable, but boy would I love to get my hands on it.... I'm dreaming that one day I will get my hands on a 1930s house....

on a recent walk in a local park I looked up to
discover this rather wonderful bat sculpture...

Do your partners read your blogs? I find it rather funny that my husband doesn't at least pop in every once in a while to read mine. Sometimes I will have shown my dear readers something I've purchased or changed in the house and weeks later hubbie will say, "when did you get/change that?" and my response is always "if you read my blog..."

After the house viewing I went into town to do my banking and popped into a charity shop and to my hearts delight came away with a brand new 100% cashmere dress for £6... this dress feels like pure heaven and I cannot wait to wear it once it is washed and dryed. It is completely unforgiving and clings to every curve however, so once work is finished I may go for a little run in an attempt to burn off a little extra padding!

I'm finishing off the week with a little work on the kaleidoscope blanket. I've been working with purples, mauves and lilacs and now I'm looking forward to moving on to reds and hot pinks...

Sending happy thoughts your way x



Crochet and owls

This dear readers is my 100th post ... doesn't time fly. I've been having a bit of a rest from the kaleidoscope blanket this week and dusting off my embroidery hoop .... I used to embroider as a child, but I was more of a "free-style" embroiderer. There was never any particular neatness or formality involved.

I decided to make a bathroom sign using an owl pattern found on Pinterest...

I've got a thing for owls at the moment and without realising it, I have been building a collection everytime I see one in a charity shop...

Mollie Makes blog featured a retro owl embroidery pattern a month or so ago and I really wanted to do it, so I have now moved on to this. It is fiddly to do and requires concentration, but it does make a nice change.

This doesn't mean I haven't done any crochet; the kaleidoscope blanket is progressing perhaps more than I realise. It no longer fits on the dining table and I have taken to laying it on the floor to check my colour flows and progress.

Hubbie wants to know if it is going to be a rug... I tell him in no uncertain terms to keep his feet away from the crochet!

Your comments are always welcome and a few of you have been asking how the blanket is made in terms of colour choice. I am making this blanket up as I go along and just allow it to grow "organically". I'm always inspired by nature and take photos when I go walking... nature is the best inspiration for colour blending and I am very much influenced by the changes in the seasons and the light.

The hexagons are sewn together with slip stitch and all ends are sewn in beforehand. It is all very organised for me I must say...

I have had real trouble leaving comments this week, but this does not mean I do not read and enjoy your posts. Everytime I write a comment out and click preview, my comment gets deleted.

Wishing you all an enjoyable week x

Fabulous chairs...

I've been spending waaaaaaaaay too much time on Pinterest... where I came across some rather fabulous crochet chairs, including this crochet deckchair. This deckchair is so wonderful I would happily have it in my living room...

This crochet armchair is a work of art:



I'd like to think one day I will attempt to re-upholster an armchair with crochet, but for now I will have to settle for throwing my WIP kaleidoscope blanket over one of my chairs.

Just because...

... I thought you might like to see my progress so far. We are back to true Autumnal weather here in the North with wind and rain and I'm feeling a little under the weather - so to speak - so I thought I would boost my spirits by dressing Vivienne up in the kaleidoscope blanket. It looks good as a dress on Viv don't you think?

Thank you for all your encouragement regarding this project and I love knowing I have inspired some of you to start your own.

Happy Monday everyone x