Tuesday 18 October 2011

Dancing Dolly - Cora

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the first in the line up of dancing dollies.

Meet Cora.

She looks a little nervous making her debut but I have assured her that you are a friendly bunch and there is nothing to worry about. This is such a pretty quilt to be making and anyone else wishing to make it can find the details from
Liz at Broderie. The pattern is by Trish Harper.



A few weeks ago I had the great pleasure of spending a day at a workshop with Anne Baxter. It was a small class and the most relaxing one I have ever done. We were making a cushion with Friendship Stars block. I chose christmas fabrics in the hope that for the first time ever I will have something to contribute to the festivities. As you can see, I have not got very far and it has yet to be made up into a cushion.



Whilst I am on a christmassy theme I have been indulging in some crochet work. I learnt how to do this as a teenager but never really got the bug for it. For some time now I have been following Lucy at Attic24 and if you have never been and had a look then go there right this minute. Lucy's blog is the most colourful and prettiest ever and I have just had to give in and have a go at making her Ripple Blanket. I have chosen an acrylic yarn called Special by Stylecraft. It is ready available, cheap and also quite good to work with and for a first venture didn't want to spend too much money on something that I might not really enjoy. After several false starts and some not very succesful counting I have now got the hang of it and I am loving it. It looks christmassy but it will fit in my home all year round.



Anyone reading the comments on the last post will wonder what on earth Michelle is commenting on. I have been experiencing great difficulties grappling with using different laptops whilst my new one gets up and running and writing that post was the most frustrating ever and I managed to delete the post just as it posted. Michelle however, was quick off the mark and managed to read it and posted her comment before it all disappeared. Here is what she commented on.

Here in the UK we are gripped with Downton Abbey. It is a fabulous tv costume drama set in the early part of the last century and charts the changing fortunes of the Earl of Grantham and his family and staff. It is superbly acted and the costumes are a delight. At a recent craft exhibition they had a display of a selection of costumes from the first series. This tv show has won many awards and the costume designer too was a well deserved winner. We are now in series two and at the end of the First World War.



I live very close to the hospital and a regular visitor is the air ambulance. There are several and today it is the turn of the yellow helicopter. They look so tiny that you wonder how they fit all that medical equipment in and a patient and crew. We have to be thankful for the sterling work of this service and hope that we never need it. They are funded on charitable donations.



Happy Stitching.

Shirley.

16 comments:

  1. Hi Shirley
    Love the crochet it is going to look great when you finish.
    And the costumes are still gorgeous !

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  2. You have been busy Shirley! Good thing! Looks like Christmas in your house is going to be cosy!

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  3. Hello my friend! And what a cutie! Cora is lovely! What a pretty dress and those flowers in her hair! Ohhh... It's been a long time since I passed by and I have missed you and you've been busy! I love Lucy, too, all that colour makes me happy, :) My ripple has been waiting over a year for me to get back to it and finish it. I have over a meter, but I don't like edges and have thought of maybe binding it! :) Your christmas cushion is just too cute: I hope you finish it, Shirl! I am sending you a big hug and thanks for the tip on Downton Abbey: I can see if they have episodes on DVD! xoxoxoxoxox, V.

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  4. Love Cora, why is it that every time you start something new I want to make it! I am impressed with the crochet. I have always struggled with it as I am left handed, and nobody ever seems to be able to teach me. I did manage to teach myself but use my right hand, which starts to ache after a while. I am an avid follower of Attic 24 thanks to you, and yearn to make some of the beautiful things, but it isn`t going to happen.

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  5. Hi Shirley - Cora is delightful - I went and had a look at the completed pattern (got curious by the circular aspect) and see that is a gorgeous pattern you have there! Your crochet is looking great... I still have a granny squares blanket I started when I was 14 to complete -- and a shawl I started about 6 years ago! Crochet is another easy craft to pick up and put down. Last night was the first night of series 2 of Downton Abbey for us, we taped it so look forward to watching that one (with stitching in hand no doubt!) Have a nice day xox

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  6. It is always a pleasure to stop by, Shirley! You have so many cute and interesting projects in the works. I am also a big Downton Abbey fan, and cannot wait for it to air here. It is a fascinating period. Hugs, Una

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  7. Cora is sweet. I look forward to seeing future progress of this project.

    I, too, have been gripped with Downton Abbey and as I'm sewing binding on a quilt at the moment it makes a perfect match. :o)

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  8. Hi Shirley, Cora is beautiful! Did I tell you I saw the original quilt in Melbourne? You are going to be very happy with the end result.

    I love the rug you are crocheting and Downton Abbey has just finished season one here. I am so pleased there is going to be another season as I have loved it. How lucky to see those costumes, I think that is one of the things I love most about the show.

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  9. Cora is cute and glad you had a lovely time at Ann Baxters workshop.
    You seem to be doing much better I hope you are.
    I am completely glued to the TV on Sunday nights. Yep period drama's are what the BBC do well.

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  10. cora! very cute and confident, your debut here on shirley's blog is a good performance, no need to be nervous! you and all your friends are very popular! auntie lizzie is very proud of you!

    downton abbey is a great favourite of mine also, love the characters and the era!

    all looking lovely shirley and love that yellow helicopter!

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  11. You can tell Coar loves the dress you picked for her. I'm so going to enjoy seeing her and her friends again. I did the crochet blanket awhile ago and it was fun with odd bod balls of wool. I'm sure you've got lots of time to get the cushion made up, it'll be great for Christmas.
    Looking forward to the second series of Downton Abbey but I heard it was bit fast and disjointed and you have to fill in the blanks.

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  12. She looks lovely Shirley and is going to have so much fun with her friends. Lovely blocks and crochet. I have to admit that I have never watched Downton but the costumes are stunning.

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  13. Your dancing dollies look like a really fun project.
    That cushion will be perfect for Christmas, don't let go of your momentum.

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  14. Cora is lovely! I'm sure all her friends will be happy to play with her very soon. I like crochet, it's a great TV dooooer. I know the fire that destroyed the original costumes earlier in the year must have been devastating but I'm sure there were some secretly jumping up and down with glee at the chance to make new ones!! They look beautiful.

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  15. Cora is beautiful and I wish I could crochet. Lorraine keeps offering to teach me not sure I needs another distraction. Living where we do we see the shark plane which is also a wonderful voluntary organisation.

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  16. Hi Shirley, what a nice Dancing Dollie you made.
    Do you have seen mine! I used the same fabric,is that an coincidence?!
    Please take a peek!
    You can find my blog:

    http://eefsneedle.blogspot.com

    Have a nice week, Evelyne

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