Today I have a little post on sewing knit cuffs. The Blackwood Cardigan has knit cuffs and it is my favourite finish for this style of garment. You get a nice, ... Read More

Stabilizing the shoulder seams in your knit projects can make a big difference in the longevity of your handmade garments. Shoulder seams are prone to stretching and sagging as time goes ... Read More

The past week has been very busy, busier than usual, and i have been as busy as a bee......lots of new designs are in the works here at my house :)........i thought you might like to see some of the crafty corners of my home today...........my house changes all the time and crafty things move about and are even packed into boxes and sent off to publishers sometimes for photography............... ...........little piles of things seem to arrange themselves here and there, like these cushions.............. .............there is always a crafty decoration of some kind hanging on my fabric cupboard door.....this time it is the sewing heart from my pretty patchwork gifts book...........please note the folded fabric on the shelves....i have been inspired by other tidy crafters lately and have tidied up my sewing room (a bit).......there is a big pile of unfolded fabric too, though, just out of shot.............. ............besides making fabric things for commissions this week i have been doing some paper crafting too for future magazine projects..........i've also been adding things to my garden journal......one sunny breezy afternoon last week i planted up next year's tulip patch........... ...........this time i put all the little name tickets from the bulbs into a pocket in my garden journal, not on a stick in the garden that the birds can steal as they did last year :).............we bought heaps of bulbs from a garden centre in the lake district.............. .............i love how that small ordinary looking little object holds so much colour, beauty and promise for next spring...............i mixed all the bulbs up this time before planting them....... .............here is a pot plant that looks nicely autumnal, i think, gracing another corner with a birdie plant stick and some real and some fabric pumpkins.............. ...........lots of patchwork quilts and crochet things are piling up here to be used for keeping us cosy......the weather has been chilly this past week and we have lit the fire in the evenings and had to put the heating on sometimes too.............. ..........i am so glad i learned to crochet, it has been such a fun and relaxing addition to my crafty making enjoyment........i remember when i longed to be able to crochet a granny square and was so delighted when i finally could :)................. ..................i loved doing granny stripes and the ripple pattern too............ ...............but as you can see the joy of making granny squares hasn't worn off yet for me..... .............in the bag is the new autumn granny square blanket i showed you recently....... ...........and here is a bit of it again with the real pumpkin i acquired this week........... .............pumpkin filled shelves are part of my autumn decorating........it is a lovely time of year and the grandchildren are so excited about halloween and dressing up....in fact they have already begun ..............thank you so much for visiting me here and for your sweet comments, it is a pleasure to see you, lovely readers :)....... wishing you a happy crafty autumn week and a wonderful weekend when it arrives......back soon xxxxxxxx

Easy Bobble Hat Pattern by Helen Stewart This free knitting pattern for beginners (or experienced knitters who want a fast satisfying knit) gives you easy to follow instructions for how to make a fun bobble hat for the whole family. Once you have mastered the basic knit and purl stitches you will be able to […]

Today is the fourth installment in the Blackwood Cardigan Sewalong! We are going to wrap up the adjustments portion of the process today with narrow and broad shoulder adjustments. Tomorrow we will ... Read More

7 El Çantası Modeli İlginizi Çekebilir: Hasır Çanta Nasıl Örülür? Kumaş Saplı Örgü Hasır Çanta Yapımı Yazlık Bandana Saplı Örgü Hasır Çanta Yapımı secondstreet.ru

Many months ago, when planning this year's commissions with the lovely magazine editors i work with, i realised that the red white and blue colour way (one of my absolute favourites) was going to be BiG this year, what with the jubilee and the olympics too.....and i also found that there were lots of lovely products on an old blighty shabby chic theme to be bought in the crafts shops.....crafty heaven :-) .....so, this is my project for this month's crafts beautiful, in the shops now.........i've been looking forward to showing it on my blog and to actually hanging the hanger up in my studio ............. .........and to using the make do and mend notebook for recording sewing tips, plans and ideas, snippets, pictures, sketches and cuttings all on a stitchy fabric-y theme......i used portobello road embellishments from papermania and haberdashery rubber stamps by tim holz on this book cover....you can read all about it in the magazine and find lots of other crafty inspiration on the crafts beautiful website here........ .........the letters in this picture are real old letters that we were sorting out last weekend...they belonged to my late mother in law, and were sent to her when her son ( my mr p) was born...they are such lovely letters from her sisters in law and other family and friends, and tell such a story of a past time and a different world...very moving too..... ..........little collage, showing the cover of cb with my project peeking out (even after all these years it's still nice to see my designs appear, especially on a cover) the magazine has a lovely (free) vintage rubber stamp and lots of papers too which i will be putting to good use......the first bluebells picked this spring (from our garden, not the bluebell woods we walked in on sunday)..........the bluebells have only just begun to open here, so the carpeting effect hasn't happened yet...maybe next weekend, if the sun shines a bit more....... ....................red white and blue pincushion and vintage birdie tin filled with red white and blue buttons all ready for sewing onto lots more projects.......... .........and my new crochet blanket which i mentioned in my last post is also fitting in with this year's theme....i've begun making a granny stripe jubilee blanket........i love it already, and it will be perfect for seaside picnics (even matching the red and white spotty picnic cool bag)......if i hurry up it might be ready to take to the jubilee party too........i think my love of this colour way really stems from the nautical things i grew up with........living in a sailing resort, surrounded by boats and flags and lots of objects painted in these colours......... ..........we love living on the coast and i love being near the sea.....i can see it from our house, and walk down to it in a few minutes......i used to take it for granted when i was young, until i lived inland for a few years and missed it so much........... .......some granny squares have quickly been hooked up too, while watching a film at the weekend.....these are for a jubilee cushion to go with the blanket for perfect picnics this summer......so that's my making and doing for this week...and i have even done a little bit of mending too....i sewed up a hole in a jumper and the hem on a skirt :-0 Thank you for dropping by to my little bit of blogland, it's so lovely to see you.........wishing you a wonderful week and i hope the sun shines for you...........back soon xxxxxxxx

This versatile crochet stitch looks great in many color combinations. Millstone stitch is easy to learn, so check out these free patterns and tutorials!

Hi, makers! Welcome to the final post in the Blackwood Cardigan Sewalong! Today we will be finishing up with the bands of the cardigan. In case you missed it, we have ... Read More

These are good days to be indoors and working in my studio....it is cold and icy outside and the pond is frozen......a little walk with molly is taken at a quick pace, and then it is back to my cosy studio again and on with the illustrations...... ................i now have a little fire in here for extra warmth and i love it....mr p gave it to me :).... ............it means i can work without getting chilly or wearing too many layers....even though i always wear quite a few compared to lots of people.......the wrist warmers i made before christmas are proving useful these days......here are a few more pictures of my studio....... ..........i always love to have flowers around especially tulips and hyacinths............ ..............and a bright quilt to look at too....this is the rosy churn dash mini quilt which is now finished.....i added some buttons to the white corner stones, backed it with white kona cotton and used the same white for the binding.....i am planning to hang this on the wall but haven't decided where just yet..... ..................in my last post i showed this angelsey cushion and a lot of lovely readers have asked about it.........the fabric was designed by the talented janet bell and this is actually a tea towel from the janet bell gallery.....(i bought a red and white one too that i gave away as a present)........ ..........i bought this last summer but decided it was too nice to use in the kitchen and by some simple sewing i turned it into a cushion to enjoy in my studio all year round.......the place names remind me of our summer visits to the sunny isle of angelsey for the sailing regatta and happy family times.... .............when i have finished drawing and painting for the day i am enjoying some cosy crochet.... ..............the colours for this new blanket were inspired by the ones i recently used in a pair of wrist warmers.....and i plan to do a stripy border for this blanket using them in the same combination.........winter evenings and crochet go so well together somehow........ ............the pinks in this pattern are reminding me of marshmallows, some of which i always have in the cupboard as charlie and daisy love them, especially the mini ones.........the yarn i have used here is all stylecraft special dk......... ...............thank you for visiting me here, dear readers, and for your lovely comments and kind wishes too.......(our grandbaby rhys is thriving and we had some lovely cuddles with him at the weekend).........thank you too for those who have emailed me with craft queries......if i haven't replied to you yet i will very soon :).............wishing you all a wonderful week with happy times and lots of crafty inspirations.......back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Learn how to make a large zippered tote bag with this free pattern. Step by step zippered tote bag pattern with zipper. Having pondered about a new bag design I settled on making a large recessed

Are you guys getting sick of me talking about my serger yet? It is really exciting to take my sewing to the next level and feel able to create quality garments ... Read More

I'm excited to introduce a new sewing pattern that is FREE for our newsletter subscribers, the Luna Tank! Luna is a simple, swingy knit tank.

This week i have made a lot of paper pieced hexagons..............one of my favourite shapes to sew and piece...........i am making the classic grandmother's flower garden flowers this time...... ............and i plan to applique them all onto a plain fabric background so there will be no need to make all those joining hexagons this time ;).......... .............these are quite small and very quick to make...also portable to take on trips...... ...........i did fussy cut a few but most are just snipped randomly and sewn together..... ..............i am using a big mix of different fabrics but keeping to a similar range of colours....... .............this is such a good way to use up pretty little scraps of favourite fabrics too........... .............speaking of trips we went on a lovely visit to my younger daughter and son in law's home this weekend....so good to spend some time with them and to see our dear littlest grandson x......the picture below is of their stylish kitchen.......love those shelves......... ................we had an outing to treacle market in nearby macclesfield......... ............i had been wanting to go there for a long time and luckily this visit coincided with the last sunday in the month when the market is always held....... ..............it takes place in the cobbled marketplace and nearby streets and has 150 stalls of crafts, vintage finds, food and drink and of course flowers......can you see the trays of bellis daisies at the front of the picture above?......one of them came home with me....... ..........we all found a treat or two (even my mr p!)........and there were all kinds of interesting things to browse amongst..............i found some tiny vintage jelly moulds, a printer's tray, a vintage printed flour bag and of course my bellis flowers..........all of which i will photograph soon........... ..............the weather was very cold so there were not so many people there this time as there sometimes are apparently.......i look forward to going back again soon............... .............thank you for dropping in here to see me dear readers..........thank you for all your lovely comments too............wishing you a happy crafty week ahead.................back soon xxxxxxxxxxx

Ready to plan and design a fall capsule wardrobe that feels like YOU? Announcing the MyBodyModel 3x3 Fall Capsule Wardrobe Challenge!

The past week has been very busy, busier than usual, and i have been as busy as a bee......lots of new designs are in the works here at my house :)........i thought you might like to see some of the crafty corners of my home today...........my house changes all the time and crafty things move about and are even packed into boxes and sent off to publishers sometimes for photography............... ...........little piles of things seem to arrange themselves here and there, like these cushions.............. .............there is always a crafty decoration of some kind hanging on my fabric cupboard door.....this time it is the sewing heart from my pretty patchwork gifts book...........please note the folded fabric on the shelves....i have been inspired by other tidy crafters lately and have tidied up my sewing room (a bit).......there is a big pile of unfolded fabric too, though, just out of shot.............. ............besides making fabric things for commissions this week i have been doing some paper crafting too for future magazine projects..........i've also been adding things to my garden journal......one sunny breezy afternoon last week i planted up next year's tulip patch........... ...........this time i put all the little name tickets from the bulbs into a pocket in my garden journal, not on a stick in the garden that the birds can steal as they did last year :).............we bought heaps of bulbs from a garden centre in the lake district.............. .............i love how that small ordinary looking little object holds so much colour, beauty and promise for next spring...............i mixed all the bulbs up this time before planting them....... .............here is a pot plant that looks nicely autumnal, i think, gracing another corner with a birdie plant stick and some real and some fabric pumpkins.............. ...........lots of patchwork quilts and crochet things are piling up here to be used for keeping us cosy......the weather has been chilly this past week and we have lit the fire in the evenings and had to put the heating on sometimes too.............. ..........i am so glad i learned to crochet, it has been such a fun and relaxing addition to my crafty making enjoyment........i remember when i longed to be able to crochet a granny square and was so delighted when i finally could :)................. ..................i loved doing granny stripes and the ripple pattern too............ ...............but as you can see the joy of making granny squares hasn't worn off yet for me..... .............in the bag is the new autumn granny square blanket i showed you recently....... ...........and here is a bit of it again with the real pumpkin i acquired this week........... .............pumpkin filled shelves are part of my autumn decorating........it is a lovely time of year and the grandchildren are so excited about halloween and dressing up....in fact they have already begun ..............thank you so much for visiting me here and for your sweet comments, it is a pleasure to see you, lovely readers :)....... wishing you a happy crafty autumn week and a wonderful weekend when it arrives......back soon xxxxxxxx

I am positively giddy with excitement today! I have been working on my second garment pattern for months and it is finally ready for the sewing world. Introducing *drumroll please* the ... Read More

Learning how to make bias tape releases you from the bonds of the stiff, store-bought stuff and and creates so many bias tape possibilities.

The seaside flower hexagons have finally all been sewn together and made into this little quilt........ .........i enjoyed making these so much (even the many plain white hexies) and am thinking of making another hexagon flower garden quilt soon, with lots and lots of scraps..................the backing is a pale blue spot from tanya whelan and the binding just had to be a red gingham............................ ..............i've been reading an old quilt book which says that hexagon flower quilts were sometimes called *martha washington's flower garden quilt* in colonial times, such a lovely name............... ...............my seaside flower garden quilt reminds me of times over the summer when i was sewing it, and the blue sea and sky, buckets and spades, boats and lighthouse of our seaside week..................... .............here is the quilt on the middle landing banister...........taking quilty pictures means following the light all around the house................. .............more quilty snaps with a sweet seaside block and a little toadstool pincushion...... ........and while we are talking about patchwork and quilting, here is the new issue of the fabulous *love patchwork and quilting* magazine, now to be published every 4 weeks and with a free cover gift with every issue :)...........i am very thrilled to be working on a project for this gorgeous new publication at the moment..............you can subscribe online here............... ...............besides my red white and blue quilt i have something else to show you in those colours..............this beautiful pillow made by lovely judy of 20 north ora.........i recently won judy's generous giveaway and a parcel of treats arrived here from across the pond last week............ ...........the pillow looks so at home here in my house.......and there were some other lovely handmade treasures in the parcel too but i want to show those to you next time.........thank you so much judy.......please check out her lovely shop here ..................... ...........since i last wrote we have been on another little trip...........on friday we drove down to surrey, to stay at this beautiful hotel about 25 miles from london, where we were guests at a lovely wedding.......... the bride's parents are dear friends of ours, and it was a pleasure to share their special day.........so many sweet details, like the wedding favours and little place cards in the top right picture............love and romance in the air and the sun even came out for the garden photos :)......... ............thank you so much for visiting me here today, lovely readers..........it is always a pleasure to see you, and i wish you a wonderful week with sunny crafty days...................back soon xxxxxxxxxx

Leanne creates a custom rubber stamp with her MyBodyModel fashion croquis to document each month's creations in her bullet journal sewing tracker.

Helen Kolomoets is ukrainian beadwork artist who makes jewelry with her own original style. Helen wrote me on mail herself asking to post her photos. Actually i like a little other style of beadwork but i think some of her work is really unique and original and deserve to b seen by readers of our website. Especially her brooches are very cheerful and fun :) Have a look and smile!

Nice Retro Images of Yarn and Wool. This images will help you for doing decorations, invitations, toppers, cards and anything you...

Today I will walk you how to sew the elastic waistband on the Arden Pants, including inserting the elastic, and topstitching the waistband.

Explore Helen Breil's 467 photos on Flickr!

Stabilizing the shoulder seams in your knit projects can make a big difference in the longevity of your handmade garments. Shoulder seams are prone to stretching and sagging as time goes ... Read More

It has been a very long time since I posted here.I have been doing a lot of quilt making and making American Girl doll clothes. I did put faces on some dolls I made a while ago.The patterns are not mine and right now I can't think who they belong to.The smaller of the 2 is a boy. They now are waiting for clothes. I hope to be more active,this year, on this blog. I need to get back to painting the dolls I love to make. No matter how hard I try there is only one person that could paint an Columbian doll. Emma herself. I will only be able to, ever,paint a Judith Ann wanna be Columbian doll. I just keep trying.

Här kommer tips och mönster till en enkel babymössa i storlek ca 1 år i garnet Helen. Garnet Helen är ett akrylgarn och jag har köpt det på Rusta. Jag har även gjort ett par raggsockor och jag har då har använt ett gammalt mönster som jag har hemma. Mössan har jag gjort mönstret till själv. Det är ganska enkelt att göra mössor bara man vet ungefär vilket huvudmått man ska sticka till. Mönster till den här mössan har ni längre ner under bilderna :-). Om ni stickar mössan efter mitt mönster och visar upp den på exempelvis en blogg så hänvisa gärna till min blogg :-). Mönster till den här mössan är i storlek ca 1 år: Lägg upp 56 maskor och sticka 2 räta och 2 aviga med rundsticka nummer 5. Detta görs i så många varv som man vill ha resåren. Jag gjorde min resår i 4 cm. Därefter så stickar man bara räta maskor. Ränderna har jag också gjort i ca 4 cm. Den sista randen är lite längre. När mössan är ca 16 börjar man minska så här: Obs byt till strumpstickor nummer 5 när det inte går att använda rundstickan längre. Minskning: Första minskningsvarvet: sticka 5 maskor, sen två maskor tillsammans, sticka 5 maskor, två maskor tillsammans. Detta upprepas hela varvet. Det blir 8 minskningar under varvet. Andra minskningsvarvet: sticka 4 maskor, sen två maskor tillsammans, sticka 4 maskor, två maskor tillsammans. Detta upprepas hela varvet. Det blir 8 minskningar under varvet. Tredje minskningsvarvet: sticka 3 maskor, sen två maskor tillsammans, sticka 3 maskor, två maskor tillsammans. Detta upprepas hela varvet. Det blir 8 minskningar under varvet. Fjärde minskningsvarvet:sticka 2 maskor, sen två maskor tillsammans, sticka 2 maskor, två maskor tillsammans. Detta upprepas hela varvet. Det blir 8 minskningar under varvet. Femte minskningsvarvet: sticka 1 maska sen två maskor tillsammans, sticka 1 maska, två maskor tillsammans. Detta upprepas hela varvet. Det blir 8 minskningar under varvet. Därefter stickar man två maskor tillsammans tills 4 maskor återstår. Drag garnet genom dessa maskor.

Buy the York Pinafore sewing pattern from Helen's Closet. The York Pinafore is a playful addition to your handmade wardrobe. It is easy to layer over tank tops for summer or turtlenecks and leggings for colder weather. The York Pinafore is a modern take on a classic pinafore dress with a cocoon shape and two views. View A features large scoop pockets, a dipped neckline, and comes to the knee. View B is a shorter length with a high neckline and a kangaroo pocket. This sewing pattern is available to buy in the following formats: - PDF (available to download immediately after purchase). What is a PDF? - PDF pattern + Printed A0 copy shop (We print out the A0 pattern sheets, but you'll need to download the digital instructions, as we don't print these. The PDF files will be emailed immediately after purchase, and the A0 pattern sheets will be dispatched next working day). What is Copy Shop? What we think: This is a classic with a twist. The cocoon shape is perfect for any other pear shapes out there, and the relaxed nature of the dress will make it easy to fit. It works well in summer over a T-shirt and would look great in corduroy over a polo neck in the winter. Suggested fabrics: Medium to heavy weight woven fabrics such as cotton twill, denim, wool, linen, corduroy, and canvas. Crisp lightweight fabrics such as cotton and lightweight linen can also be used for a warm-weather pinafore. Use drapier fabrics such as tencel twill, wool crepe, rayon crepe, or viscose poplin if you prefer a softer, less structured look. Fabric requirements: View A (longer view): 57" (150 cm) wide fabric: 1.4 - 2.2 yd (1.2 - 2 m) // 45" (115 cm) wide fabric: 1.7 - 2.7 yd (1.5 - 2.5 m). View B (shorter view): 57" (142 cm) wide fabric: 1.3 - 1.9 yd (1.1 - 1.7 m) // 45" (112 cm) wide fabric: 1.6 - 2.5 yd (1.4 - 2.2 m). Sizing: 0 - 34 (approx. UK 6 - 34). Please check the size chart and finished garment measurements. Notions: Thread; 4 yd/m of 1/2" (1.3 cm) wide double fold bias tape. PDF pattern includes: Instructions; US letter/A4 print-at-home pattern (33 pages); A0 copy shop pattern (2 sheets). If you’re looking for more maker inspiration, check out the latest sewing pattern reviews from the sewing community. We also have a sewing blog to keep you up to date with all the news from the world of sewing.

Poppy knitting pattern to make your own handmade knitted poppy. Wear one to show your support for the British Legion Poppy Appeal!

Happy new week dear readers......it's a sunny bright and cheerful one here....... .........with lots of new sewing supplies brightening up my work table.....and i'm busy sewing projects for my new book every day....... ............we have just had a very busy weekend which didn't leave much time for gardening..... ............or photo taking.......but here are the super bright petunias we planted at the base of the new clematis flowering happily.......and below is a pretty pink hydrangea of a type i haven't seen before tucked into a corner of the cottage garden.....this one was a birthday present from one of my girls (they know me so well) xx.......... .............the lavender is out and the bees are loving it......the fence got splashed with mud after heavy rain......might have to wash it....:) ...........here is a block for my log cabin quilt......looking forward to joining the blocks (some day!)... .............there is a roses and stripes theme that seems to have developed all by itself.....which i'm very happy about.... .............the diamond english paper piecing i began on holiday is almost finished.... ............i might be able to show you what it's for next time.... ................and on a red white and blue seaside theme here is my cross stitch project in this month's crafts beautiful magazine out now............. .............off to unroll one of my delicious sushi rolls from lecien fabrics now and stitch up something pretty............ ..........thank you so much for visiting me here lovely readers and for taking the time to leave me a comment.......it's so nice to hear from you........hope you have a lovely week ahead with sunny skies and flowers to fill your days.................back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I am sharing two of my favourite things here today......as it says in the title, flowers and crochet :).....but first i must say a huge thank you to everyone who has entered my springtime giveaway on my previous post (open till march 31 if you would still like to put your name in the draw)...............i have so enjoyed reading your lovely comments, and finding some new bloggers to visit too........my pastel ripple blanket is finished and has been photographed........ .............and i have been loving having jugs of spring flowers in my studio and sewing room while i work this week ............... ..............the weather has been sunny, rainy, bright, but most of all chilly with a mean east wind..... ...........i finished off this ripple by sewing on a bobble trim, like i did with the bright ripple stripe i made last spring, but this time i used white bobbles which blend in with the last white stripes....... ............i have been working on my secret projects.......(all magazine commissions which will pop up eventually here)..........some of the projects involve paper crafts and scrapbook techniques which i so love to play with sometimes............my desk is covered with crafts materials and ready for a big tidy up now...................... ..............here is the pastel ripple hanging on the potting shed door..............and some of my chalks... ...............i notice i seem to have used a lot of the pink one :)................ ............... sweet pink hyacinths from the garden......i plant the potted hyacinths and other bulbs outside after they flower in the house each year and now have quite a collection outdoors each spring.......below are pink primula from outside daisy's pre-school.............and some soft new yarn.... .................and a new persephone book..............i am not sure yet what i will make with this gorgeous new yarn, at the moment i am just enjoying having it there looking delicious............. ...............the little crate is handy to put a project in and pile up the yarn in too......i am always moving my crafty stuff about depending on where i want to work on it and also in an effort not to take over the whole house with it ;).............. ..............i keep sewing things on a tray (which is often in my photographs) and that is easy to lift onto a higher table away from small children's hands.......scissors and pins and needles are always in use around here........ ................one of my favourite spring flowers is the bellis daisy.............. .............i love to mix the garden flowers together with pretty china..... ..............and as this post has so many flowers, i had to have at least one blossom-against-blue sky shot, and here it is..............blissful cherry blossom on some small trees in the old village churchyard....if you stand right underneath the sky looks full of flowers.................thank you for visiting me here in my little blog space, lovely readers, and for your sweet comments........i wish you a happy sunny week with flowers and crafts to enjoy wherever you may be.........back soon xxxxxxxx *****my springtime giveaway is open until monday march 31*****

'Helen' dress from Hannah Kristina Metz in mustard cotton gauze. Midi style, mandarin collar, button front, long billowy sleeves. 100% cotton Sizing and fit 2: 34 bust 4: 36 bust 6: 38 bust 8: 40 bust Model is 5'8 wearing a size 6 for a looser look. Model usually wears a size 4.

Sewing patch pockets can be a little bit intimidating, especially if you're working with a knit fabric. Enter the magic of Wonder Tape!

Today my friend Helen came to share with us how to make a sweet little first doll for a baby from a recycled woollen garment. Helen moved to Australia from New Zealand at the beginning of this year and she brought with her some lovely ideas from the craft group at the Steiner school her daughters attended there. This little doll is not new, rather it is in a classic 'Steiner' style ~ simple, natural fibres and no facial features; what makes it a little different is its lavender 'heart'. We added a small sprinkle of dried lavender flowers wrapped in fleece when we stuffed the bodies to soothe the wee ones off to sleep. Helen also explained that when she was taught to make these little dolls they made them with the inside outside. The reason was because it had been worn by another turing it inside out gave it a new side. Helen didn't mind at all when I asked if it was ok to share today's session in the blog sphere; so I took pictures as we went. They are a bit dodgy tho because I only had my phone camera on me. Everything I write from now on is a bit, shall we say 'organic' ~ there isn't really a pattern or a size; there is a general shape tho! here goes: The picture above shows the shape you need, the (very rough) dimensions of this piece were 13" by 5" and curve your corners. Next make a head. To do that get some fleece and starting small, wind up a tight ball shape until it is the size you need; keep in mind that babies have big heads ~ the proportions are 1/3 head 2/3 body. These dolls are more like 1/4 head 3/4 body...but they are in sleeping bags! Now stitch up your side seams ~ right sides together. You could do this on a machine or by hand using either running stitch or back stitch. Fold it in half lengthwise and starting on one folded edge side, stitch down and around the curve ~ REMEMBER you want to leave a hole in the centre bottom big enough to get your head through so don't keep going all the way round! Start back at the other folded edge and come back down and round the curve leaving a gap. Ok now you put your head in. You will need a length of linen or other strong thread ready to tie off your head. Turn your fabric right way out and fold in in half to find the exact centre on the top edge (not the curved bottom edge with the opening) put in a pin vertically at that point and then push your balled up head fleece through the opening and up to the pin. The pin will hold the ball securish while you pull and stretch the fabric down around it. You are aiming for a neat ball with as few wrinkles as you can manage. Holding the stretched head in one hand wrap your linen thread tightly around the 'neck' of the ball to secure the shape. I wrap three times and knot three times, but whatever works for you. Once you have done that you will have a couple of linen threads hanging loose. Thread them into a needle and pull them through into the inside of the doll to hide them. Ok. if you would like to add a lavender heart here is how. Pull off a longish piece of fleece and lay it across your palm, then add another across the opposite way (so you have a cross or X) pinch up some dried lavender flowers and sprinkle them into the centre of the cross and then carefully wrap first one side, then the other and keep repeating the process til you have a neat little bundle - give it a squeeze to release the heady fragrance. Stuff the doll so that it is cuddly and has plenty of give, not firm, and put in your little 'heart' before you blind stitch up the bottom edge. Next you want to pull in the edges to make it have arms; to do that hold it up and push the sides in with your fingers til you like the look and it is even. Mark the points your fingers were with a couple of pins. Now how you do the next bit depends on if you want a centre bow or not. For a very small baby you might prefer not to have any dangly bits of thread they can get their fingers hooked in, so whatever you prefer. for no bow ~ thread your needed with strong thread, you might like to double it, come up from below your pin and do a couple of small backstitches to secure it then push your needle all the way through and out at your other pin point ~ pull taught ~ turn your needle around and go back through and out the first side ~ pull taught ~ backstitch and knot to secure then push your needle back though the middle and out, snip the thread close to the doll body. To make a bow: put the needle in just to the right of centre leaving a tail long enough to tie into a bow, then push the needle through to the left side, turn it around and push it back coming out to one side of the centre back. make a smallish stitch, say half an inch, across the back and then go back in and come out on the other side seam. Go in once more and come out to the left of the centre front ~ pull taught. You might need someone to help you hold the strings secure while you double knot and double bow. Ok now you just add a hat - you can do this in whatever style you like utilising whichever bit of the garment works. For a long pointy hat, measure around the head to get the length of the flat edgen and try this triangular shape ~ The hat below was made with part of a turtle neck jumper. The two above were from the sleeve cuffs. Sew it up, stitch it on and you are done.

Tenga en cuenta: este listado es solo para el patrón en PDF y no para la manta real. Sugeriría que este patrón sea para crocheters con habilidades intermedias y superiores; es un patrón escrito (no una foto paso a paso ni un video tutorial). Este es el patrón ORIGINAL Rainbow of Stars y solo está disponible en mis tiendas de patrones y no en vendedores externos. He reelaborado este patrón para hacerlo mucho más fácil y ahora tiene solo 6 rondas para cada cuadrado y ¡todo con repeticiones fáciles! Y otra ventaja: no es necesario bloquear tus cuadrados cuando termines: ¡¡¡gana, gana!!! Espero que disfrutes de la nueva versión reelaborada de mi patrón. (He conservado las rondas originales en el patrón para que puedas elegir cuál prefieres, pero estoy seguro de que estarás de acuerdo en que la nueva versión reelaborada es mucho más divertida de hacer). Tenga en cuenta que este patrón es para habilidades de crochet intermedias y superiores. Aquí está: mi patrón de crochet de manta de arcoíris de estrellas. Me embarqué en un viaje al diseñar esta manta. Tenía una imagen en mi cabeza de exactamente cómo quería que se viera y no iba a descansar hasta lograr esa imagen. ¡Y me complace mucho decir que así es exactamente como lo había imaginado! El diseño de la manta está inspirado en mi estrella más joven. Actualmente está enamorado de todo lo relacionado con el arcoíris y las estrellas, de ahí los colores y el diseño. La manta terminada mide aproximadamente 38 pulgadas por 54 pulgadas pero, por supuesto, puede hacerla del tamaño que desee simplemente haciendo menos o más cuadrados. Hice la manta de las fotos usando Stylecraft Special DK, pero funciona igual de bien con hilo de cualquier peso, siempre que se use el mismo en todas partes. Sugeriría que este patrón sea para crocheters con habilidades intermedias y superiores. Se incluyen patrones terminológicos tanto de EE. UU. como del Reino Unido. Asegúrate de comprobar con cuál estás trabajando y no dudes en enviarme un correo electrónico o enviarme un mensaje a través de Etsy si tienes alguna consulta relacionada con el patrón. El patrón es un patrón de crochet escrito con algunas fotos pero no es un tutorial fotográfico paso a paso, es un patrón de crochet escrito y no un diagrama. El patrón se publica bajo el nombre de mi diseño de Three Loops on the Hook - Crochet Designs de Helen McLean. TENGA EN CUENTA: este listado es solo para el patrón de crochet en pdf y no para la manta real. Además, el verde utilizado en la versión brillante de la manta se suspendió después del lanzamiento de este patrón. El patrón ahora se refiere a Kelly Green y/o Sage Green, ya que estos son tonos de hilo alternativos sugeridos: Sage Green es la combinación más cercana al verde original utilizado (Kelly Green es un tono de verde más oscuro). Los derechos de autor de todos los patrones de Sew Sew Baby y Three Loops on the Hook están reservados a Helen McLean.

Happy new week dear readers.......those of you who read here regularly know that i love using the colour combination of red white and blue in my designs and my crush on these colours just grows stronger :)...........many of the pictures in my camera this week featured these colours too because of the beautiful royal wedding..........lots of bunting and flags everywhere...... ............and i got out all my red white and blue quilts........but decided i really want to make a specifically royal/patriotic one so am beginning to plan and to gather fabric for that idea..... ...........here are the little bears choosing their bows ready for the special day...... .............the gorgeous ribbons were from hobbycraft and my little bear pattern is now available to download at sew and so here.................. ...............love hearts quilt....nearly finished this one now...... ............we had strawberries....and all the other english afternoon tea treats too........... ...........some of my quilts were made a while ago and have some favourite fabrics in them.... ............some are more recent and it's exciting to find new fabric designs i love to sew with....i find it interesting to work within a colour palette and to see the different effects you can create........ .............a hexie quilt to snuggle under............and the little cot quilt being hand quilted below.... ..............love my union jack mug from emma bridgewater....it was essential for my tea all weekend....... ..............the bunny below fitted the theme with her red white and blue liberty print ears and her dress made from cool britannia fabric by benartex from a few years ago..........you can now find the sugar bunny pattern at sew and so too......... ..............the garden is full of flowers....still lots of bluebells, masses of lily of the valley which has spread beneath the trees and has such an evocative scent, roses in bud and some just opening, alliums all beginning to open too so i must take lots of garden pictures this week...... ..................thank you everyone who visits me here...so many of you have become friends over the years and it's so nice to know you by name and to read your kind comments.... wishing you a very happy week enjoying the may days, the colours, the flowers, the sunshine, and of course plenty of crafty inspiration................................back soon xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few months ago you will remember, I had the privilege of visiting Stylecraft Mill along with the other blogstars. We were treated like royalty and showered with gifts to share with you all! One of these gifts was a pack of the new Stylecraft yarn Batik. This is a 20% wool 80% acrylic mix with a speckled appearance. It comes in cute 50g balls and is available in 16 beautiful shades. So what a pleasure it has been to design a blanket that would showcase this new yarn. I began by trying out a new block to me, from an old favourite book, 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton. you can buy this from Amazon. (Note the UK version has a pink cover and the US version has a blue cover!) I wanted to use a small square so chose the Wisteria block and just made rounds 1 to 4. Playing with the colours is my favourite part! I soon realised that the 16 shades have been created to work well together, which is a joy for us crochet artists. I have used 1 50g ball of the shades indigo cherry teal old gold violet coral storm raspberry pistachio heather olive sage plum and 10 balls of biscuit for the joining and border. I worked with a 3.5mm hook You can buy the yarn HERE So I set about making squares using 4 rounds of colour and the 5th round of each square I made in biscuit. Some balls made 7 squares and others made 8! This will be due to varying yarn thickness and differences in my tension. So I had 99 squares when complete which I arranged in a rectangle 9 x 11. I'm frequently asked how do I plan the layout of my blankets to make them look random. Well my trick is to play crochet Sudoku! Just using my eye I try to place only 1 of any colour in each row or column and it works well! My first layout was a random mix of the squares as seen above, but this just didn't sing to me! I knew that the Batik yarn was more special than this so I had a second play! This time I was happy, very happy indeed! I chose the layout above blending the colours from 1 corner of the rectangle to the opposite one. Joining is my favourite part of blanket making as you see it come together so fast. I have crocheted the squares together from the back, using UK dc through both loops. This gives a really strong join with a nice simple look. You will find a tutorial for this method HERE. The first view of the blanket is always so exciting and here above you can see it with the first direction of joining done. The second direction of joining completes the blanket into one piece and look what a wonderful surprise I found! As 4 squares meet and are joined a flower is formed from their 4 corners! This is made from the pattern of the squares and nothing to do with the joining method. What a delight! When you stand back and view the blanket from a distance there is another surprise to behold . . . can you see the diagonal pattern made by the holes? Oh what a joy, this rainbow blanket of plain squares has so much to delight in it! Here's a close up of the join and the formation of the flower. This joining method creates a ridge on the back of the blanket and smooth flat finish on the front. With the blanket complete it was time to choose the border. I can highly recommend this border book Around The Corner by Edie Eckman, It is written in US terms and has written instructions and charts. I have used border number 27 after beginning with a foundation round of trebles first. So here it is my Rainbow Batik Blanket Tadaa! If you would like to try this yarn for yourself (or treat yourself to any other Stylecraft yarns or patterns) I am hosting a little competition for my UK followers. You can win yourself a Stylecraft bag of goodies, filled with some Patchwork Heart treats and £25 of vouchers! (The vouchers can be redeemed in UK, at any bricks and mortar yarn shop.) To enter simply leave me a comment on this blog post, telling me what you enjoy about my blog. You must make sure that I can find your email to contact you in case you are the winner! A winner will be drawn at random on Sunday 25th September so you have 2 weeks to enter! The fun of this rainbow blanket is that it looks so different from every direction! This blanket is a winner and it is a keeper! A new blanket for Patchwork House! If you are not a fan of wool, do not despair! I have had some comments from followers on Facebook and Instagram who either cannot wear wool or who would prefer a more affordable option. As you know I listen to all your comments and aim to please! I have plans to make the same blanket again in Stylecraft Special DK using the flecked yarns, so watch this space! I wish you all a happy hooky weekend and look forward to reading your comments. Don't forget to comment here now to be in with a chance of winning! Heather X X X This post was sponsored by Stylecraft Yarns

One of the most requested posts since I started writing the Sew Your Kibbe Series was to identify which indie pattern brands would work best for the various Kibbe types. One of the reasons I didn…