Sampler in Blue...

When I told you about the books I received the other day, I should perhaps have mentioned that I also ordered (from Coast and Country Crafts) a very pretty pattern by Gail Pan called 'Sampler in Blue'.

I have cut some background fabric and, using the window as a light box, have traced the pattern onto the fabric ready to stitch.

I thought I would embroider it using some variegated silk thread that I have had in my possession for a little while now.

I ordered the thread from Stef Francis. She produces lots of beautiful, hand-dyed threads and I love the colours.  It does mean that my sampler may not be completely 'blue' but I don't think it will matter!

I have it all hooped up and it is ready to start now and, I have narrowed the choice of threads to one of these three skeins which all contain a generous amount of blue in them.

Can't wait to get stitching and also to see it finished!! I think my sampler will be a 'Sampler in bluey-teal'!

Patchwork Allsorts on Facebook!

Hello, just popping in to let you know I've set up a Patchwork Allsorts page on Facebook. Hope to see you there in the very near future!

More reading material!!

Whilst I was away in England a lovely parcel arrived for me.  It contained a couple of delightful little books that I ordered from Coast and Country Crafts.  The books are 'Simply Rouge' 

and 'Simply Seaside'

both from House on the Hill Design Company. 

They are both beautiful books filled with lots of fun ideas and inspiration.  I especially love 'Simply Seaside' which has lots of cute little projects featuring my favourite beach huts! Together with the magazines that I showed you last time, I certainly think I have enough reading material to last some little while!!

Magazines!

Hello, sorry it has been a little while since I was here but, I have been away in England returning my youngest daughter to university and visiting family. Apart from seeing family, one of the things I like best about travelling is the opportunity to pick up magazines that I am not able to get hold of here in Switzerland. Well, you need to have something to read on the flight don't you?!

Actually, these first two magazines 'Cadeaux' and 'Sabrina Patchwork' both of which are published by Dynapresse in Switzerland, I bought on the way to the airport in Geneva. So, I had something nice to read on the outward flight.

Then in England I was able to collect a number of very nice magazines: Stitch, Simply Crochet, Mollie Makes and Popular Patchwork. I enjoyed reading them in quiet moments during my stay and, on the flight back. They have given me a lot of ideas for forthcoming needlecraft projects. 

Now I just have to get my suitcases unpacked and my washing sorted so that I have time to get started!!

Button Heart

As you may recall, one of my friends sent me a lovely Button Heart Kit for Christmas.  The kit is made by the company 'East of India' and included everything that I needed to make a Button Heart ornament.

Recently, I spent a very pleasant afternoon making my Button Heart.  I started by cutting out the fabric.

Then sewed the two sides together on my trusty sewing machine.

Clipped the seam allowances to make turning the heart right side out more straightforward.

Turned and stuffed the heart.

Added the label (provided in the kit) to the back and the ribbon to the front.

Stitched on all the buttons and found somewhere nice for it to hang.

Thank you Jan!  A lovely creative afternoon!!

New year, new look, new plans!

You may have noticed that I have been playing with the look of my blog over the last few days. It has taken me a little while to get things how I want them but, I am finally happy with my 'new look'. It feels good to start the new year with a new image!  I must, at this point, say a big 'thank you' to my son who has helped me very patiently with some of the technical bits!!

At the beginning of each new year I do also like to have time to browse through my sewing books, tutorials that I have printed off and notes that I have made of potential project ideas.  I like to set myself some 'project goals' so that I have something to aim for.  I do otherwise have a tendency to just let my time slip through my fingers.

It has been lovely to sit and look through magazines and books and jot down ideas which will hopefully come to fruition over the coming months.  I have quite a number of ideas written down now and, I am looking forward to sharing them with you.

Thank you for coming to visit!

First finished project of 2014!

It is always hard to squeeze in a little stitching time over the Christmas and New Year period.  It is fun to visit family and to have friends and family come here to visit but, I do always miss the quiet time I usually have to spend sewing or crocheting.  So, I am really pleased that I have managed to find a few moments to finish off the scarf that I started last year.

As you may recall, I used this pattern which was posted by Sandra of Cherry Heart but I didn't follow Sandra's instructions to the letter.  I made the colour blocks smaller, creating a more stripey effect by changing the wool colour every ten rows.  I haven't joined the ends together to make the scarf into a cowl either. I have left it as a scarf and added a fringe at either end.

It is nice to have it finished and I'm looking forward to wearing it in the cold Winter months of January and February.  I'm also pleased to have my first finished project of 2014.  I hope you can all find a few minutes of time to do something you enjoy today!!