Seeing Stars

Thought I'd show you my progress up until now ....

Yesterday was a bit slow-going and I made a couple of really dodgy looking stars

(I'll put those at the end so you can have a giggle!)

Today, however, I am doing okay ... Stars are flying all over the place!!

Now can you see the slightly dodgy

(not really sure if I should include them or unpick them YET again)

stars?!

~~~~~ ***** ~~~~~

Pretty in Pink

Well today my project is something to do with making this ....

out of THIS .....

 

Hopefully I'll have more to show you later!  Wish me luck!

 

~~~ *** ~~~

 

And for a little extra ....

 

Here are some of the crochet squares I've finally finished this weekend for swaps I'm taking part in ....

 

 

I do love swapping crochet squares with the girls on www.ravelry.com

as it means I get to try out lots of different colour combinations

that I wouldn't necessarily chose myself

And I end up really liking them when I work on the squares. 

 

I think there's a billion crochet blankets in my head in all sorts of colour combinations!

 

*** **** ***

He's here!

He's here!

 

My favourite little person to create things for right now!

 

My nephew has arrived in the world and he's a real cutie.  And guess what he's called!

 

Of course after making personalised bunting for Baby Noah's commission

I thought it would be a lovely idea to make my new nephew some for his bedroom.

 

I knew they'd bought a cot bumper that was very bright and had lots of polka dot fabric on it. 

 I also knew that my mum had made a patchwork cot quilt in similar fabrics to go with it. 

 So it seemed logical to go for bright colours and polka dots!

 

I'd cut out all the triangles and had them all laid out. 

I asked Adam when he came into the room if he though the colours were in the right order

- and bless him - he decided they weren't and re-arranged them.

So that was the order I sewed them in!

 

 

On the back I went for six different boyish and bright fabrics so that it can be reversible if they wish.  There were boats, monster trucks, rockets, cats, fishing frogs and teddies.

 

 

 

 

I was really pleased with how it turned out - and the new parents loved it!

 

As you know I have been knitting for the expected baby too.  Here's the first cardigan I made him - Puerperium Cardigan http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/puerperium-cardigan by Kelly Brooker.  I absolutely love this pattern.  I made this one in Sirdar Baby Snuggly - a speckled grey and creamy white colour.  I had it ready for Christmas along with a little owl hat I'd made in the same yarn.  And here he is, in his cardigan, with his eldest cousin - my daughter ...

 

Don't they look a treat?!

 

The cardigan was well received and apparently has been worn loads already as they love it and the design. 

 

That's good, cos I've made two more since!

 

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beyond-puerperium

 

Newborn size - which is too big right now. 

 He was a lovely healthy size and not a whopper like my three!

 



 

And 0 - 3 months in one of my favourite yarns at the moment - Sirdar Montana in the Rodeo shade.

And I made a hat to match this one too -the Aviatrix Hat by Justine Turner -  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aviatrix-hat

I wanted one that had a strap and button underneath as my boys were brilliant at pulling their hats off!

 

Mummy loved this one and said it wouldn't be coming off! 

It was a super knit and one that I will do again.

 Took a little while to get the hang on the short rows but once I got going it was obvious how it was going to work.

 

 

I have yet another Beyond Puerperium on my knitting needles in a rather snazzy lime green/petrol/grey/green combo.  I have also been extremely lucky and been gifted a couple of baby patterns from a couple of my Ravelry friends.  They are both a bit different as well - which I like - and so do the brand new parents (along with very bright colours!)

 

Watch this space for more!

 

Oh and I'd better get making more for The Crafty Phoenix Lady unit at The Emporium - which is doing rather well right now.  As I think I mentioned before I have another commission from Noah's mummy for two personalised bags.

 

*   *   *   *   *

Commissions ... it's all in the name ...

I am finally able to get on here and show you two of the recent commissions I have made.

I was asked back in February if I would make a taggy blanket for a little baby girl named Betsy.  The lady had seen my normal taggy blankets (they're more like the size of a handkerchief with ribbons, ric-rac, etc round the outside as tags for the baby to feel). 

 

She wanted one that was more personal and wanted the name embroidered on it.

 

 

 

I do make taggy blankets but have never personalised one.  So this would be a new one for me!

 

She chose the fabric she liked for the back of it.  I tend to use nice cotton fabric on one side with fleece on the other to make it cosy.

 

 

 

So now to chose which fleece went best with the gorgeous bunny fabric.  I decided on the pale pink as I thought that matched the pale pink in the rabbits and also would be a great background for the embroidery.

 

 

Next choosing the ribbons etc to go with it.  I do like them to match the fabric I use as I think it ties it all together nicely.  So went for navy, white, pale pinks and coral colours.

 

Next the embroidery thread to match - a navy and a coral. 

I thought I'd do an outline in navy and fill it with the coral thread.

 

 

Aaah ... the first letter!  Always the scariest!

 

To make it more stable, as fleece is quite stretchy, I had bondaweb on the back.  This really did help!

 

The outline is done - now the filling in to do with a satin stitch in the pretty coral thread.

 

Finished name!  What do you think?  I thought it stood out really well and looked very effective.

 

 

And the finished taggy - both sides. 

 

The lady was really pleased with it and sent me a text saying it was absolutely beautiful. 

It is so nice to get great feed-back!

 

* * *

 

Then I had an email from a lady who'd just had a baby boy.  She'd seen The Crafty Phoenix Lady unit and said she loved everything I made!  And that she wondered if I'd make some personalised bunting for her new son.

 

Oh yes!  Of course I would!

 

 

She was really easy-going about what colours.  She wanted animals but said I could decide.  I tried to give her a choice - of bright fabrics or more muted shades of rust, beige and greens.  I then suggested that if she couldn't decide I could always do it double-sided with the brights on one side and the muted on the other - so then she'd have the choice and could change it as and when she fancied.

 

 

And that's what she went for!

 

So I now had to find a typeface and cut out the letters very carefully

(again with the help of bondaweb - I love that stuff!)

 

You may have guessed - his name is Noah!

 

 

I went for a bright orange for the muted shades as I felt it needed to stand out, and for the brights

I chose a black fabric which had white paw prints on as I felt it was quite apt and would go well.

 

 

I had to be extra careful that I laid it out right

so that it would read the right way once it was sewn together. 

 

 

 And there you go - Noah's bunting all finished!

 

His mummy loved it! 

She went for the muted shades to start with and thought she'd change to the brighter side as he grew.  She has also asked me if I would make him a personalised bag for when he goes to nursery! 

I am looking forward to coming up with a great bag for Noah!

 

*  *  *  *  *