Furtling in May

 This month has been a month of almost finishes, nearly but not quite there yet. But I have one least which I finished on the 30th. I found some pinwheel blocks which I sewed together and I kept with the nautical theme with another boat fabric for top and sides and a red fabric for base, casing and drawstrings.  This will make a larger project bag which will comfortably house a cardigan or jumper.

I got out some patchwork blocks that I made last year and added two more which I will send to one of the Siblings Together coordinators, once I get a large envelope to send off.

I think my sewing mojo is slowly returning.

As for knitting, David’s cardigan is progressing well as I’ve just finished the second sleeve, another ‘nearly there’. Now the sewing up and knitting the bands. The cardigan is a pattern by King Cole, no. 4273 and the yarn is Hayfield Soft Twist DK.

Some sock knitting with both socks getting to the toe shaping and again a ‘nearly there’. I’m knitting the Hobbity socks in Funny Feet self striping yarn. The first sock is not completed and there was a join in the yarn, so getting the second sock to the same point as the first to rejoin the yarn in the same place for both socks.

I actually bought some yarn this month in support of @flowerpowerfund and was dyed by Ducky Darlings and called Once and Floral and I bought the set with 3 mini skeins.  I haven’t any plans for these yarns yet.

This month I have found some long languishing UFO’s.  A redwork project which I think was to celebrate a significant anniversary or birthday, long since forgotten.  This was a design by Mandy Shaw which I bought as a complete pattern, though it was once a Block of the Month. There a nine completed squares, one half done and two yet to be done. 

Another has been a cross stitch picture, which was a kit. I used two strands of thread instead of one so I quickly ran out of thread.  Having gained some thread from my Mum’s stash I am going to try to get this done, but it will be slow going as my sight can only take a small amount of time doing cross stitch.  There doesn’t appear to be a designer’s name although the copyright year is 2001.

I bought the Granny Go Round crochet pattern by Iron Lamb, and used some Hayfield  Bonus yarn (that I think I bought in local Hobbycraft) that I’ve made a start on so next month I would like to progress beyond the shoulder shaping, but it’s taking a fair bit of concentration so far. As we will be on holiday next month to I’m going to look at a bit of travel knitting to take with me.

Lastly I’ve made an ATC for the online swap in he theme of Coronation Celebrations and just snuck in time with this one. I chose royal purple, with the inscription from the anointment screen and the gold branch, leaves and acorn from the embroidery detail on the King’s shirt (although his was a bit more delicate than my attempt here) and of course, bunting, which was everywhere. I fitted in a lot in a 3.5 x 2.5 inch card.

So I hope your May has gone well and seeing good progress with finishes. I’m joining in with Mini Archie’s May Furtle Around the Blogosphere.

May

 I first started this post at the beginning of May ……

It’s the beginning of May and the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla has happened yesterday. A second bank holiday in the UK to come tomorrow.

The Monthly Marker is a bit of a cheat as I’ve folded up a cushion cover made to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee back in 2002! It’s was a challenge when I was a member of Quarterjack Quilters. I didn’t win and it has never been used, so stores away in my cupboard. I was really pleased with these Suffolk Puffs into which I poked a bit of gold fabric in the middles. 

We didn’t celebrate with a party but quietly watched the ceremony, which was amazing. Using the old traditions

of coronations past and incorporating modern features which reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom of today was really well thought out. 

Last week I had been practicing on a fairly new to me craft of Iris folding and making a card. 

It doesn’t have anything to do with Iris flowers, but the Iris of an eye. It’s really like foundation piecing but in paper instead of fabric and working from the outside in. There is a paper pattern underneath the cut out to show the placing of the papers. The kit showed one shade of yellow for the top wing and another shad for the bottom, but I decided to add this patterned yellow instead (as butterflies have patterns on their wings). The kit I bought at the Craft 4 Crafters show last month and is by Pretty in Paper by B . The card above is off cuts of paper strips which were woven together (but yet to put a greeting on.

May has its ups and downs and each days has had different weather, but I managed to get out in the garden and pick a few flowers on Sunday. Finding a small vase wasn’t easy so I used a small wine glass, this one is on display in our cabinet and was to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee (gosh, that was a long time ago).

Today is now 20 May - over half of this month gone! I don’t appear to have made much, and done no sewing at all!  I will have to get my digit out soon (next week) and start making blocks for Siblings Together again.  One lady has asked for some cross  blocks like these, below, which I made last year. I can make some more to fill the large envelope.

I’ve done a bit more paper crafting with another butterfly card and a front for another card. The butterflies are from the same kit, but I cut out the red card so I can keep the last template.  I’ve enjoyed the Iris folding, it is a little like foundation piecing in patchwork.  Perhaps I could learn to like FPP a bit more.

I have dug out an old UFO.  This is a redwork calendar designed by Mandy Shaw from 2002. This was when the late Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee, over 20 years ago!  I started this to celebrate a significant event (birthdays, anniversary?) but that time has long since gone! I completed most of the redwork embroidery bar 2 blocks and have backed with red and white gingham fabrics.

The blocks in question are November, David’s and my birthday month (and didn’t fancy Guy Fawkes as suggested in the pattern). June was replaced with August, August’s was another design (not sure of the source). September is another one I’ve not made and December is only part done.  I thought of doing autumn leaves for September instead of the US flag, and it has been suggested to sew a birthday cake for November.  Then the blocks are backed with the edges folded round to the front and slip stitched. That’s not been too easy given that the gingham is poly cotton.  What I will do with it when it’s finished I’m not really sure, but it will be good to get this done.

It is great to see the days are getting warmer and drier, and we’ve been trying to sort out the garden. There has been a splash of colour with the little azalea plant

And a rose peeping out through the foliage

Really lovely to see.

An April Furtle.

 April is nearly at and end and it’s a round up time of what I’ve managed to get done this month. 

I’ve not managed to sew much this month, but I did finish my stitch book and wrote a post about it here . I’m pleased that I’ve finished that and have an idea to start a third but with different format and I’ll see how that goes.

And I also finished off a part finished quilt (though there is yet to a home for this). The front 

And the back

I finished the knitted Christmas stocking, which I’m really pleased with 

Below is a close up of the colourwork and slip stitches.  This has turned out to be a really enjoyable knit and there may be another. This is a Patron pattern by the Bakery Bears, so it’s not for sale, unfortunately.

I’ve got a couple of things on the needles.  One is a cardigan for David  and he chose this King Cole pattern with a cable pattern, no. 4273 in grey, knitted in Hayfield Soft Twist. I bought pattern, yarn and buttons all from Wool Warehouse. 

I’ve so far knitted left front, part of the right front and the back.  To keep track of the cable twists I’m using a row counter together with a piece of paper to remind me which rows to cable!  There is cable patterning on the back but (fortunately) he wanted that plain.

I’ve also got a pair of socks on the go too, which came in useful for car knitting on our weekend away last weekend.  This yarn is Funny Feetz by James C Brett, bought at the wool shop in Wimborne.  I’ve used a Patron pattern from the Bakery Bears in their magazine, called the Hobbity socks, so there’s a bit of texture. 

As part of the Year of Dishcloths by the Kitchen Sink Shop, this was the April cloth. Knitted in Drops Paris, far too pretty to be a dishcloth it may be a washcloth, which will be a gift. I quite like these small knitted items. This dishcloth is based on Mini Eggs, although I’ve not chosen a Mini Egg type colour.  There is also a recipe for cookies with crushed Mini Eggs too.

And I made an ATC for the TG zoom group and the theme was Yellow. I painted yellow and added blue to one end red to the other, so those colours ran into the yellow. I then die cut the star and the circle. I had a scrap of Kaffe Fassett fabric under the cut outs. I finished off with yellow glittler

Lastly something new to me is Lego. Having visited the Lego shop In Southampton I bought a daffodil kit.

And a heart shaped wreath

There are some pieces left to change the decoration of this, but I finished the basic instructions. This was the first time I’ve bought Lego for me as it’s always been for the children and grandchildren.  I think there may be more kits in my future.

What’s in store for May? Well I’m continuing with my current knitting projects and the socks will definitely be finished then. The cardigan fronts and back will be done and getting on with the sleeves.  I have a long standing UFO to finish off, which is a calendar quilt which was started for a significant celebration years back, that I can’t think what it was! Time to get out of hibernation and below is one of the blocks.  This was a pattern by Mandy Shaw.

The only block not made was November’s as it is birthday month and I’ll have to think about what design to do for that.  The original have Guy Fawkes on it, which I wasn’t keen on.

So that’s my round up for April and I’m connecting to Mini Archie’s April Furtle Around the Blogosphere.

Last Weekend in Aylesbury

 David and I went away for an overnight stay in Aylesbury on Saturday as it was just a little to far to go there and back in a day and it was our first stay away this year.  We visited the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in Quainton, which was once the end of the Metropolitan Line of the London Underground. Last weekend was their steam weekend with not only steam engines running but also traction engines, static steam pumps and old vehicles on display.  There was also two Royal Mail rail carriages, with history of the travelling post office. 

One of the engines doing rides along the line.

Section of one of the Undeground cars

A half size traction engine

A former coal board engine, doing rides along the railway

A Royal Mail van with the travelling post office (TPO) behind it.

As well as full size locos there was also a miniature railway and we had to have a ride.

A little signal box

The little diesel engine.

There was a notice about train services for the Coronation, but not Charles III’s ! It was 17 June 1902, so that was King Edward VII’s.

On Sunday we went to a couple of National Trust sites near the railway centre, Claydon House, which was surrounded by little villages with the Claydon name.  A house that should have been larger had the occupant at the time became bankrupt, but still amazed at the height of the ceilings - I didn’t take photos though.  Out in the garden, part of which was private there were spring blossom and one of the trees was just humming with buzz of bees.

A glimpse into another garden

This was the ‘buzzing’ tree.

We moved on from there to Waddesdon and the Manor. This was a house built to impress, owned by he Rothschild family

It was getting on for lunchtime and after that we explored the grounds and visited the parterre at the back of the house. We didn’t expect to see hundreds and thousands of tulips, it just took our breath away.

After viewing the aviary, which had this grotto in the middle, we looked in the house.  

I didn’t take photos in the house, but it was opulent and lots of Sevres pottery, some of which was very rare. 

Alice, sister of Ferdinand Rothschild, was a collector herself and a lot of her china and glass was on display too.  I’m not sure if this is her collection of buttons but there were a couple of frames with button displays. 

This button collage of the Queen was in the restaurant and there were reflections of the lights 

We took a selfie just as proof we’ve been here!

After this we travelled back home and while of the A34 came across the tender for steam locomotive Eddystone, which was heading back to Swanage Railway.  The engine itself arrived on the Monday morning.

It was good to get away and we are planning our holiday trip in June to Scotland.