Friday, 31 January 2014

Friendship Square(s) received

Do you remember the funny little snowman I made to send off for one lucky (?) lady in a www.ravelry.com swap?

Well I have received mine!

 
Aren't they lovely?  Two little snowflakes on gorgeous blue backgrounds.
 
 
In this swap we are paired up randomly, usually sending to a different person than who we receive from - and it's kept secret until they are received.  This month, however, my recipient was also my sender!

February's swap is a Valentine or Anti-Valentine's swap.  So lots of hearts - or not!

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Friday, 24 January 2014

Maureen Cracknell Handmade: A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

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It's Fabric Giveaway Friday!


A Cotton Blossom Farms Fabrics!


A Cotton Blossom Farms Fabrics!

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cottonblossomfarm-640-84

Maureen Cracknell Handmade's  sponsor Cotton Blossom Farm Fabrics is a real working family farm where the fabric business is a family business that grew out of a love for beautiful, fun designer fabrics. They started their little venture on Etsy, where they still maintain their shop, and have now grown to their own website, as well. Their fabric family -- Cathy, Robin, and Heath, enjoy picking out beautiful, new collections each season, including basics, solids and fun fabrics like chenille, flannel and fleece. The goal of Cotton Blossom Farm is to provide the highest quality fabric, with a pleasant shopping experience, and some of the best customer service on the web!
 
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 We hope you enjoy visiting their sites!! 

 
For this weekend's giveaway Cotton Blossom Farm Fabrics is offering a Jelly Roll of the Wishes collection by Sweetwater for Moda Fabrics! This Jelly Roll includes all 40 prints cut into 2.5" strips of fabric, all rolled up and tied in a cute ribbon! 

 
 
 
A Cotton Blossom Farms Fabrics!
 
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Enter to Win!
http://www.maureencracknellhandmade.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/a-fabric-giveaway_24.html


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Fabrics chosen for Goodnight Irene

I am trying to be a bit virtuous in that I want to use fabric I already have in my stash to make this quilt.  In fact I've been looking for the right project to use one of my jelly rolls in, and Goodnight Irene would seem to be the perfect one!

The jelly roll was bought way back when they where first becoming popular.  It's not a branded one, but one someone had made up and sold on Ebay.  I liked the brightness of the fabrics and bought it.

So ... the lovely bright jelly roll ....


What do you think?  Bright enough?
 
 
Then there is the decision as to what to have as the other fabric that makes up the crosses and has to be a larger amount of fabric.  Oh gosh, have I pondered and pondered.  I felt that I wanted to do a coloured fabric as opposed to calico or white - which, don't get me wrong, I love - but I felt I wanted something different for a change.

So finally I opted for this one ....
a greyish darkish mauve-ish shade with tiny creamy beige stars on it.

 
Actually it looks a bit brown on here - but trust me it isn't!
 
Now, the question is ... will they look okay together?
 
 
 
Only time will tell!
 
Now I've just got to do all that cutting .....!
 
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Thursday, 23 January 2014

Goodnight Irene

I am really going to try and push myself this year to achieve much more craft-wise!  I'm hoping to finish off projects that are definite UFOs and I want to learn more too.

So I'm joining in with the Goodnight Irene Sew-Along 2014. 

http://terrytreasures.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/its-time-to-sew-along-together-0.html


 
 
So I have signed up for it - which means I am really going to have to get going ....
 
Now all I need to do to start this quilt is to cut out 344 - yes, that's right - 344 2 1/2 inch squares, and 92 4 1/2 inch squares.
 
 
And I guess before that I need to choose the fabric I'm going to use.  I'm going to be good and use some that is already in my huge fabric stash.  I have a very bright jelly roll that would do nicely and I think I want a colour for the x-blocks rather than white or calico for a change.
 
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Young Love ....

I was sorting through my youngest son's school bag yesterday.  You know the thing - clearing out the school letters, the lunchbox, the various pens and pencils they've acquired...

And what do I find but a little love note from a girl at his school ...



Isn't that just the sweetest thing?

Adam was a tad embarrassed and I think he was a little bit proud of it too!


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Tuesday, 21 January 2014

Confessions of the Christmas Throw

I belong to a group on www.ravelry.com called The Global Square Exchange where basically we exchange knitted and crocheted 6" square.  We choose our own themes and/or colours and then make two squares for your partner in their chosen theme/colours.

Mine started off as Christmas themed and colours as I'd had a couple of other swaps and had some odd Christmas squares.  I thought it would be nice to have a throw that just came out for Christmas.

So by November time I had received many many squares from some extremely talented and generous crafters - so I started to put it together with the goal of finishing it by Christmas.

Confession time now ... it wasn't finished by Christmas!

However we did have it on the back of the sofa looking very Christmassy and every evening I would sit down and crochet a few more squares on.

Last night I finally finished the border.  I choose to do a row each in white, green and red to pull the Christmassy colours together.  If you look carefully there is one blue and white square that someone made for me - and I like that little quirkiness of an odd one in there!  I believe a quilt is always supposed to have one mistake in it because nothing is supposed to be perfect.

So ... here at last ... and ready for Christmas 2104 ... is my Christmas Throw ...

 
 
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Friday, 17 January 2014

Maureen Cracknell Handmade: A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :

Maureen Cracknell Handmade: A Fabric GIVEAWAY : :: *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * It's Fabric Giveaway Friday !   *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ...
 
Click on the link above to take you to the giveaway - where you'll have a chance to win
some fat quarters in one of the four colour-ways above. 
 
Good luck!