More snow

Yesterday woke to dazzling crispy whiteness - liek a heavy dusting of icing sugar and today even more dusting of the white stuff .....between snow showers (when cant see across the green) is sparkling sunshine. Would bizarrely swap from one to other in a moment - one min sunshine next wildly swirling snowflakes ................ All I know is it makes me wilt alarmingly (legs just go)- the M.E.,  and my arthritis complain - bitterly!

Today a BIG BOX parcel arrived from one of my bestest friends - with my wedding album and birthday pressies in!! Underneath all the scrunched up paper of former travel magazines (another story there) Album all scrapbooked with flowers (crocheted and paper) and all sorts text and of course lots pics ..................... I shall of course have to take pics of it and post! Also a bunch scrummy smellies - soaps n bath fizzies from LUSH inculding my fav - Karma! So shall soon be off for LONG hot Soak in lots lovely smellies .................. ideal for my aches n pains
& A handmade funky eggcup with toast rack and spoon rest - which we both saw when Christmas shopping together at a street market .....had totally forgot about that!
So all in all a lovely surprise!!

Now onto more crafty things - thought post something I made last Summer - to remind me of all things bright, warm and colourful ........see I do colour as well.

This is a rug I made for the bedroom - but its in the loo now
I picked out the colours in the fabric (yet to be made into curtains for bedroom) - so its all pinks, peaches, greens, purples and lavenders matching the flowers n leaves in the fabric ( a Chinois pattern of trailing vines and flowers on a black background - in lovely cotton sateen) - you can just see the roll of fabric at top of pic
I need to make another rug but BIGGER

Hot House Rug

Made in carpet wool (80/20 wool) - so should last for many years!

Just made 2 scarves in stripes for sonny-one - black and dark teal (boucle wool so warm n cuddly - like he is) and other in a variegated shades of bright blue (bright n cheery like he is). These for his birthday later this month.

Well better get something achieved for day !

George Spencer Fabric - hand quilted then beaded wall hanging

Well bit late - sorry but was my birthday this weekend and other such excuses .....
Here is work in progress - a quilted and beaded wall hanging

Here it is unfinished with ragged edges

The work has taken me a month to do - so far
It will go in spare room to act as a headboard. All this work ...just for the spare room!

The fabric is unusual being a print sample of the block from the designer 'George Spencer' - so it is just the one section that would be repeated
I have co-ordinating fabric of the same print in subtley different shades some on cotton,  glazed cotton or on linen so will be challenge - again colour print run samples to make a bedspread or curtains - not sure which yet!

I sadly didnt think to take pics before quilting and after quilting but before beading
But here it is beaded - but not edged yet

I hand quilted each leaf then shadow quilted where the pattern would have been repeated in cream thread, to put it all in context.
Then beaded in co-ordinating colours - green, brown and cream beads - some very kindly given to me by my good friend Diana!!

So many, many thanks Diana ............ certainly added the finishing touches!!

She also pattern tests for me - for my crochet patterns - she a very talented lady who knits, paints, beads, crochets, quilts ..........all brilliantly - a real artist!

More of a close up

Detail - One of the Brown Leaves

Detail - One of the Green leaves

Some the pattern being extended by shadow quilting the leaves with cream beads to put teh printed section in context

I have more fun with odds and ends of fabric than by buying co-ordinated lengths
Just love the challenge of making somehting out of nothing ......................
So give me a bag of scraps and 'hey presto'  something is created

I made a lovely strip quilted pillow out of the trimmings from a pair of curtains - maybe post that tomorrow!

Today it is grey wet and snowing ......... very grismal!

Didnt do anything for my birthday as DH didnt feel v well .......poor chap

Anway at last min he bought me a digital photoframe, as he had no idea what to get me - so now I can upload and look at all the hundreds pics I take! :-)
We did go on Sunday and see the film Avatar - which was v enjoyable but left me exhausted so slept all evening on the sofa ........................ The ME/CFIDS can be the very devil's plague!

Lacy Ascot Scarf , Houses and quilts .......................

Been busy cleaning n doing final clearance of house - so it can be rented out ...... almost done
Soooo dispiriting - my lovely little home with its designer kitchen (beech birch and stainless steel) and bathroom.............. and polished wood floors and cream wool carpets (no kids, no pets no man to mess  things up!)
Just hope tenants look after the house!

Then weather has been so grim grey n grismal ....................... not exactly uplifting to the spirits

Anyway ..... onto things creative ..... :-)

ASCOT - which has a wedge shape at the back with two tie ends, so you can wear it with the wedge V at front (with ends at sides)  or the wedge V at the back making the ends longer so you can tie it at the front

It took 1 ball Crystal Palace Kid Silk and a couple of evenings to do - if do again be shorter as will not have to work out the pattern nor make changes ..which of course I did
Pattern was :  Janetta Ascot Scarf  - a vintage pattern dating from 1920's

Tied so V wedge at front with wedged ends at sides

V wedge at back .................

With ends tied at front

Made this the other week ....soft light lacy fluffy merino - nice delicate haze
Very feminine - really nice on my coat and can be worn several ways - so versatile as well!

Tomorrow will post pics of another project in progress - a quilted and beaded wall hanging - anyway more about that tomorrow ...................