'So Crocheted Chic'

Yes indeed...Crochet has long been associated with being old fashioned 

yet, as with knitting, it has been revolutionized by modern imaginations! 

I love to crochet, due in part for the swift way a project can grow.

 Not more so, than the 'humble granny square'! 

I have a stool in my bathroom, very practical and particularly shabby, 

yet most definitely not 'shabby chic' that needed sprucing up.

Yet what to do has taken some time, until now!

My inspiration..do please visit Ingrid Jansen Wood & Wool Stool

For the most part she uses the granny square to cover her delightful little stools 

and so I thought I would have a go at covering 'So Shabby' and transform it to 'So Crocheted Chic' 

The wool I used came from Freedoms' range Gorgeous D.K .

The colours I chose reminded me of the sea, so felt suited to my project.

I have also decided to show the 'reverse'

Controversial?? 

perhaps but I loved the rippled affect of the reverse treble stitch, again reminding me of waves on the sea, so.....on it went back to front!

If you would like to know how to make a granny square I have put a tutorial on my Stitch Crochet page.

xVx 

Happy Anniversary dear.....

Having been married a year, we gifted each other a book.

(paper being the first anniversary theme)

I wasn't quite brave enough to let my hubby completely choose on his own and had a book wish list to hand!

From my ever growing book wish collection, I do believe he made a wonderful choice.

Surprisingly noticing my new passion for embroidery!

so here it is...

Flicking through the pages, eyes widening with delight at the lovely projects within. I already have marked the ones I definitely will do.

With Christmas in mind these lovely little projects look simple and quick, but oh so beautiful! 

The book has 35 varying projects themed into chapters and have accompanying pictures with written instruction on how to piece them together. All of the embroidery stitches used are referenced at the back of the book. So if you are a novice to embroidery 

(as am I) 

you are not left floundering before you can begin.

All in all a lovely fresh and modern inspiration to traditional scandinavian needlecraft design.

Thank you Hubby X

x V x

For everything there is a season and a time....

This is my moment of reflection and my time for remembering.  Days can pass with never a thought of those lost. Then something, a word a thought or in this instance a piece of work that was begun many moons ago can help you remember again.

This embroidery of a Papillon butterfly was started by my mother in the mid 60's (at a guess) and never finished. 

My mother passed away 3 years ago this summer, only managing to see the first 6 months of my daughters life before illness overcame her.

This piece of embroidery has traveled with me, with the thought that it would remain unfinished, but would be kept as a memory of my mother, of that young girl I never knew.

I love the vibrant colours along with the muted golds and bronze. The more I would look at it the more I felt it was right to finish what was begun all that time ago. 

A true joining of the past and the present. Of a mother and her daughter. 

I have chosen a vibrant pink to outline the butterfly and decided to use a lovely gold thread to fill in between. (I'm learning and loving the texture of the French Knot!)

There is still some thread left to continue with the blue circles and follow the original colour scheme.

My mother pregnant with me in 1972

Thanks Mum, because every time I bake, every time I sew, knit, crochet or embroider

I remember you

All my love

xVx

Beautiful Cyprus Lace

Living in Cyprus the one place I most wanted to visit was a village called lefkara

Here they hand make lace from linen.

This can be mass produced and in the process can lose some of its charm when bought from the local tourist shops. So I was desperate to go and find the 'real thing'

The famous visiting centre D & A Lefkara Handcraft Centre have been given certificates of recognition for making lace for the pope and for the Queens coronation

The village itself is a collection of wonderful lace shops full of handcrafted lace and the women who make them.

Lefkara Village

One of the many talented women who make the lace

Did I succumb and buy some lace....?  Well of course I did

I was shown an Heirloom piece that was made by a lady 20 years ago and a design that can not be reproduced..the cost..Umm Glad someone had already decided to make it their Heirloom! 

With my meagre budget I bought a lovely piece that one day I will find the perfect place for.

xVx

Finished 'Itty Bitty Buttons'

Through all the stages and the waiting, finally 

here are my finished buttons.....and very pleased I am too.

if you pop over to my 'Mollie Makes' page 

you may find one of these 'Itty Bitty's  adorning a felt flower.

xVX

pink petal sunburst

At last and many 'petals' later I have finished my daughters cushion cover. 

I was over at Dottie Angel's blog My favorite place to visit

Where I found her post called 'Lo and beholdness..a crocheted circle of goodness..'

I fell in love with the design and followed her link to Millie's petals for the centre design, then just kept going...

Until I had my own 'pink petal sunburst'

These crochet petals are a bit addictive..so my cushion reverse is more of the same with only a colour change and round break to make it different.

I think it would brighten up any girls room..big or small

xVx

Ooo what a lovely idea!!

I've been over to Mollie Makes and found something to add to my long, long list of 

 'to make one day'  

I'm sure you agree that if socks are not your thing, like me, but do love the colours sock yarns come in, then this throw is a fantastic idea. 

I was given sock yarn sometime ago and it has yet to become something wonderful. I think I can feel a 'I need some more lovely juicy yarn' moment coming on!!  I'm definitely up for giving this a go. What do you think?

Click on 'My favorite magazine' link and you will find more details about the throw over at Mollie makes.

xVx