Bunting from Baby Clothes

I have a great-nephew called Henry who is  4 and my latest project involves his baby clothes. His mum, Hayley gave me a lovely colourful pile.

This blog entry shows how I used them to make bunting.

 

1. I usually process the clothes by cutting off all seams, hems and gussets. This leaves me with useful pieces.

2. I press the pieces and using a card triangle, I draw round and cut out. To save time I cut them out doubled up.

Another tip especially when using jersey fabric ..... I sandwich a cotton piece in as well. This gives the flag a more substantial feel and makes it easier to sew. 

3. I sew round the triple thickness wrong side out with a white one on top.

4. I trim the tip of each triangle otherwise they won`t turn very well.

5. I turn them inside out with the white one inside, pin and baste.

 

6. I press them with a damp cloth, remove the basting thread and trim the top of ragged edges.

7. Next I pin them to some bright webbing. This yellow came from a boot fair. Note that I have left enough to fold over the rough edges.

8. Sew right along from one end to the other taking care to ease the machine over the different thicknesses.

9. Next I pin the webbing over the rough edges and machine in place. Even this will need easing through.

 

10. Press the webbing and voila .... complete.

 

This is a lovely way for mums and dads to remember favourite outfits and the bunting can be brought out for special occasions.

 

I can`t wait for Henry to have his bunting though when that will be remains to be seen.

Hearts in Snow

  We made a very cold visit to the garden yesterday for a few leeks but not much else! The first thing we spied was an icy pile of chipped bark which we are pleased to have.

 The pond was iced over.

It is so funny to see the garden like this .... not conducive to doing a great deal except view the icy scenes.

A very interesting phenomenon which Steve noticed as he crunched up the big path. Ice crystals had pushed chipped bark up into peaks making a lovely sound as we walked.

 

So sorry to see the helichrysum well and truly finished. I did wonder if it might get through the winter.

 

Back home for lovely tomato soup made from our frozen summer glut, noticing bellis daisies and primroses pushing through the snow in the sunshine.

After a good rest we stacked the last of the logs as the sunshine moved round to the logstore.

Is there anything more satisfying than a logstore full up.

We felt we had earned our teabreak and peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate (what diet!!)

Snow is still hanging around.

I spent the rest of the afternoon making mini bunting for the fairy cave and fairy garden. It was most satisfying as I used all my scrap fabric in fine floral patterns.

Our valentine flowers are just opening.

Happy Valentines Day everyone.

Freezing February and Cosy Crafts

There is a light layer of snow on the ground and I am sitting watching many garden birds at the feeders, stocking up on energy to get them through these cold nights .... peanuts, fat balls and logs full of lard.

There are blue tits, great tits, robins, blackbirds, a beautiful thrush, long tailed tits, dunnocks, nuthatches and wood pigeons.

I`ve been unsuccessfully trying to get good pictures.

We do get wrens in the garden and with that in mind I have been experimenting with crochet wren pods.

 Having put one outside for a trial run, it was soon sodden with the perpetual rain we`ve had. Now they have been water-proofed and for good measure I`ve cut a plastic bottle to fit over the top. I`ve heard that wrens can sometimes squash in with each other. I`m not sure how you would know it had been used though. 

The work on the new greenhouse has been called to a halt. The frame is up at least. I was just beginning to get excited.

So its lots of cosy indoor crafts.

I have completed the latest dressing gown. The knitted squares are made by villagers and I crochet them together (along with others)

The first stage is to lay them out on the floor and check no two colours are the same, next to each other.

Then I pin lightly together and number the strips. 

Then the whole thing comes together, with a double row of crochet all round.

 

  

 

It takes about two to three days.

And thinking ahead a few stone ladybirds on the go.

My own pastel blanket is coming along slowly. I just knit squares when I have a spare moment. Note my lovely new soft grey craft carrier from Paula. I love it.

I had a lovely order from Hobbycraft arrive in the week with some exciting new wool colours.

And there seems to be a teddy bear theme going on. I call them t.shirt teddies because they are made of old t.shirts or jersey fabric. My nephew Fletcher asked for a camouflage teddy and here they are, plus a couple of camouflage scarves made from spare fabric.

I have also been making cards from photos taken at Freshwinds Garden. You may have seen the photos on this blog.

Another job which is waiting ... flower garlands to cut up ready to make more fairies.
 

The sun is shining and yes its cold but in another hour or so I will be off for my Covid jab .... hooray.

I am writing on my new computer which makes things a lot easier than struggling with the mobile.

Hope everyone is finding plenty to do in this lock-down and hopefully you are getting the jab if you are so far, eligible.

Happy February.

 

February Surprises

 Not a great deal of gardening going on lately, but Steve was starting on the new greenhouse so I went out for a while.

I decided to tidy around the snowdrops .... their droopy heads covered in raindrops.

I was thinking mmmm not much going on out here but then I began to have a closer look.

I noticed the incredible shoots on the clematis.

I noticed the waterdrop orbs on this beautiful moss.

The first raggedy camellias.

My fingers were frozen from useless gardening gloves. I wish they would make some with rubber right round the fingers.

Then I helped  to hold greenhouse pieces together and my hands got even colder.

Helleborus and pulmonaria were complimenting each other.

I weeded the spinach and rocket which are holding their own in all the cold weather.

And we still have massive parsnip to use.

I was very excited to see all the chrysanthemum shoots. I can't wait to take cuttings.

The catalogues are plopping on the doormat.

On the next wet afternoon I will light the fire early and browse to my heart's content.