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In the words of the great Homer Simpson

"If at first you don't succeed - give up"

I wanted to make an amigurumi monkey as a birthday present for one of Molly's friends. I liked this one

 

from this book, but after staring at this for an hour and none of it making a blind bit of sense -

I gave up. I mean, 'reelly' how's a girl supposed to understand that ?

So I made a much simpler version up as I went along instead.

Chi Chi.

I did manage to follow the instructions for the hat, (once I found out which part was the hat - thanks to this extremely useful chart at My little Mochi), but the rest of it was just too much for me. It's a lovely little book and I've followed the instructions successfully on some of the other animals, so I'd still recommend it. (I can't remember if I've already posted pictures from this book ? - I'll search through my archives later and if I haven't I will next week).

Also,there is a great free pattern on the web which makes a bigger very cute monkey here.

I suspect part of the problem in trying to make sense of the pattern, was due to extreme tiredness. The night before I stayed up acting as Mrs Tippytoes doula, who very cleverly delivered ...

3 little kitties !

I've followed the example of famous celebrities and named them after the first thing I set my eyes on in the food cupboard. I therefore present to you..

Borlotti Beans Tippytoes

Tomato Cardamom Tippytoes

Naturally Sweet Sweetcorn Tippytoes

or Beans, Tom and Sweetie for short.

I hope Jane approves, she's mentioned before that she takes an active interest in the naming little ones.

: )

Have a great weekend all !

xx

Mother's Day Gift Tutorial

Perhaps she'd like a little fabric house ?

Mind you, I didn't make this one for my Mother - my Mother associates 'handmade' with being too tighty arsed to buy something, and anyway she'd rather have twenty quid to go to the bingo.

Template,

I've written the measurements for mine, but you can enlarge if desired, particularly if you are making one as a softie as shown at the bottom of this post.

Place two layers of fabric right sides together ( I used quite a stiff calico for my inner fabric), pin and stitch around the template leaving a gap for turning as shown

I forgot to take a pic after I had sewn mine silly me, but after you have stitched, cut out leaving a small seam all around. Turn right side out and close gap. Now machine stitch along the line of every junction (is that the right word ?) in other words where the base meets the walls,the back wall meets the roof, and where the roof bends, these points are marked on the template as solid black lines. This will makes it easier to fold your house when it comes to sewing it together. (If you understand what I just wrote there, you're a bloody genius, but you'll see what I mean when I show you the next pictures).

Next..

Embroider any little details you wish to,

Can you see my machine stitched junction lines ? the one above is very wonky but that doesn't matter it's an old wonky cottage.

I only embroidered through the top layer of fabric, so I could draw some housey details inside (at Molly's request, this house is for her)

Next stitch (I used ladder stitch) the walls together, and then just the back section of the roof . For fastening, sew a length a embroidery thread to the roof and a little button to the front and wrap your thread around to close. Like so -

Stitch a little birdy button to the roof if you have one.

A little pink hamster lives in this one

but you could fill yours with foil wrapped chocolate hearts or diamonds or anything you think your Ma would like.

Alternatively make one from felt and use as a pincushion, or make a larger one as a toy for a child (and, handily, because they're nice and soft, you can also throw them with great force at a child and you won't do them any serious damage).

Just cut each part of the house out of different colour felt or dyed felted blanket and blanket stitch together. Don't forget to stuff it of course otherwise there will be no fun in throwing it.

This one's called Brian

he has a big heart.

I hope you have a fun weekend everybody, back soon.

Oh I nearly forgot, a few people asked for the crochet flower pattern, I got mine from The DK Pocket Encyclopedia of Needlecraft ISBN 0 86318 302 6 , so I'm afraid I can't put the instructions up here. There are some lovely tutorials on the web though, so if I were you, I would while away an hour or two trawling the net tonight (with the obligatory glass of vino of course).

Ciao !

Things that make me happy.

Whilst I should be up in the loft sorting out the years and years worth of  sentimental nick-nacks crap, that we've hung on to, I have happily managed to find myself a diversion.

Drinking tea out of bunny cups with Molly, and crocheting flowers

because it's far more important to make crochet flowers than it is to sort out a cobwebby attic isn't it.

I know you'll agree with me on that, even though there are some folk in this house who might not understand just how much more important it is to make a flower garland than it is to do boring messy jobs.

I shall mention no names.

Instead I shall move right along to the biggest cause of my happiness today,

this...

and this..

aren't they beautiful !!!

I accidentally spent some money here.

OOPS !

My photography is rubbish (must read that camera manual one day), so please believe me when I say that these babies are even lovelier in the flesh, Sarah's work is so original and interesting and lovely to look at, I am very tempted to spend more money that I really musn't. I pretended to myself that I was buying them for Molly - they'll look perfect in her room, but we all know who I bought them for really, Heh heh.

Pretty things really make my day, cobwebby things do not.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

Honey, I broke the Dyson

again.

Listen carefully to one who knows, Dysons do not, I repeat DO NOT like hoovering up plaster dust. I know this because I've done it on two occasions, and on both occasions I have prematurely ended a Dyson's life. If you want to know what a Dyson sounds like when you kill it, it goes like this - EEEEEEUMMMMMPUH !

Oops.

My absence from this blog has been due to somebody (me )deciding it was a good idea to pull down the old crumbling lathe and plaster ceiling in Molly's room. What a bloody mess,  Then I also decided the chimney breast had to be stripped and re-plastered too, so the whole room and the rest of the house is now covered in a fine layer of plaster dust. There was even a fine film of plaster on my glass of wine last night, which is the final straw in my book.

The only pretty thing in Molly's room at the moment is her fireplace,

 

I started to rub back the old paintwork for re-painting,

and then decided I like it like this, nice huh ?

Molly, has been excitedly making things for her room when it's ready, here's a section of a painting we've been working on,

When I say 'we'  I mean Molly has done all the fun bits and I was *allowed* to paint the background - "Mummy, I need to rest - you can finish off the pink bits for me" (rather in the style of Michaelangelo instructing one of his underlings methinks).

I 'd like to say this was a harmonious project, but I'd be a bare-faced liar. She was using MY expensive acrylic paints, and mixing them together willy-nilly to make a lot of sludgy browns, and abusing MY expensive brushes, so I had to get involved (bad Mummy). It ended up with a paint pallet being flung on the floor, and a brush aimed directly at me.  Tempermental madam, I don't know where she gets it from.

I hope you have a lovely peaceful weekend, I'm out on the razz tonight with the girls, it's my friend's birthday and we may or may not be drinking cocktails.

I couldn't possibly say.

;- )

Ignoring The Housework Monday

I hereby introduce a new worldwide law. Monday is a no housework day.

It's compulsory.

I'm going to be finishing off the binding on Molly's quilt instead.

How about you ? What nice things are you going to do today?

Molly-Mummy Fun.

Ducky flew.

Designed and made by Miss M Roberts age 7 and11/12ths.

A little valentine

to someone who inspires me, reads my blog, leaves me a comment and who with their kind words keeps my faith in human nature..

YOU !

Yes, you reading this right now.

I hope you all have a LOVEly day.

: ) 

Uncle D

WIP

cutting up squres to make a quilt for me Molly's room, I bloody hate the cutting up part of quilt making, if I were rich I'd employ a cutter-upper, I bet all the big-guns of the quilting world have a cutter-upper person.

I'm escaping this weekend. I'm off to visit my lovely sister and brother-in law, and my favourite little nephew Harvey. I'm going to visit them because their much loved waggy dog Charlie left this world last week and I need to give my sister some hugs. Charlie was the loveliest, most placid dog (who never complained about little people poking him in the eye, or trying to pull his tail/ears off, or using him as a trampoline) I have ever met,and he will be missed by our family as much as a human being would be missed.

I'll be taking a fine bottle of wine and we will sit,and have a good old laugh about the time Charlie stole Molly's maltesers with a quick flick of the tongue, or the day he had the horrendous sh*ts on the train when Kay brought him down to visit us (very funny story to me, not so funny for her).

While I'm on the subject of my sister, I have to give a mention to her husband,my brother in law, ' Uncle D ' because he has the driest sense of humour that I've come across in many a year (bearing in mind that we Brits love to be insulted and humiliated a dry sense of humour)

Uncle D, is from 'up north' as we say in this country, which basically means you don't mince your words - you say exactly want you think with a large dash of humour thrown in. Northerners are the British equivalent of New Yorkers, which is one of the reasons I loved New York so much, you might get told off or hollered at by someone, but that someone has a twinkle in their eye.

This is a typical conversation I have with my brother in law when I telephone..

Ring.. ring...ring..ring..

Uncle D..."Hello ?"

Me..." Hellooo, it's me, your favourite sister in law !".

Uncle D..........................................(long pause)

Uncle D... "Oh, hello Auntie Carole".

Me..."Yeah right , very funny, it's me - Lynn".

Uncle D..."So you are coming to see us this weekend ?"

Me... "Yes !  Whoopee ! - I'll be arriving on friday evening !"

What comes next is a very heavy, very audible ,deeply sad sigh..... and then silence.

And then eventually..

" I'll pass you on to your sister"

He loves me really.

I think.

I hope you have a lovely weekend , and speaking of funny men I'll leave you with this.

First pair of socks

Knitted for Molly

Sock Yarn - Regia silk colour, shade 185.

Pattern - Regia sock pattern, slightly modified to include two large holes, lots of ladders, four five or six dropped stitches, various extra stitches here and there, and some very crap Kitchener stitching on the toes.

O.k...moving on...

New book.

ISBN 9784579111640. Making cute little bags from your little 'uns drawings.

Very cute. Reminds me of a time many moons ago, when Tom was around 5 years old and his class had made little cakes and a paper envelope to carry them home in. They were allowed to decorate the envelopes in any way they chose, and my friend's daughter chose to decorate hers with lots of drawings of... *male parts*

Lots

and

lots

of

them.

Very good drawings they were too.

I wonder if she still has that envelope ? That would make an interesting bag. I'll ask her.

Lavender Baby Tutorial

Template first

You will need a small amount of felt for the ears, fabrics for the face and body, and some plain light cotton fabric. My baby pattern is about 4" or 10cm high, but make yours as big or small as you like.

Cut a strip of fabric for the face (my piece measures 4"/10cm x 9"/23cm) and body (5"/12cm x 9"23cm) and pin and stitch together along one of the long edges.

Next cut a piece of plain cotton ( I used an old sheet), slightly larger than your sewn together fabrics and pin together around the edges.

This is my first tip - when making softies out of cotton fabrics, I always back them with a plain piece of cotton, this gives your toy more strength and avoids that lumpy look when you come to stuff it.

Next, pin your pattern piece to the fabrics and stitch all around close to the edge of the pattern. You'll be doing this for only the front piece of baby. 

Cut out about a quarter inch away from your stitch line.

Next, pin and stitch the ear strips in place.

Now flip your baby over onto to the remaining fabric so right sides are together, and making sure your head and body seams line up, pin and stitch together. Don't forget to leave a gap for turning. Sounds obvious I know, but I've lost count of the number of times I've forgotten to do that Goddammit.

Cut out and snip carefully all around for maximum curvability.

Turn right side out, stuff, putting in a teaspoon or two of dried lavender if desired, and stitch gap closed.

Baby should now look like this.

And now for my second top tip - shape the ears when your softie is at this stage, that way you don't have to deal with itty-bitty ear shaped bits of felt that are very tricky to pin and sew in place. Just cut a straight line to the length you want and then round off the corners. Simple huh ?

Embroider the face, add a little hair, and your all done.

Have fun.

And have a lovely weekend too.