New Year Promises





This new year of 2013, I have vowed to get my act together and have made a few promises to myself.  My word for this year is TRY, so, I shall TRY and do better, TRY to finish a few things and TRY to be a better blogger. No doubt I shall start a few things too but I shall TRY to finish them so that they don't languish in a dark place. I have lots of plans.

 

 

In my quest to TRY, I managed to upload my photo's onto said blog via the new toy that Santa brought me but at the minute I am not loving it very much. Like all new things I guess  you just have to keep Trying till it become's second nature.  Right this minute it is back to the old laptop.

 

 



 

Thank you to everyone for your comments on Olly's Christmas sweater. He loved it and wore it with pride. He is a brave chap and no Josie I didn't need to bake a cake with a file in it!!

 

 

One of the things that I have been doing is following on Pinterest. It seems to cause some angst in some circles and to pin or not to pin was the question I kept asking myself. I desisted for quite some time but gave in. If you follow me and see anything that I have pinned that you are not happy with then please tell me and I will remove it.

 

 

There are some great ideas on Pinterest and one of them was a link to a youtube tutorial for a crochet stitch called crocodile stitch.  So, I set myself the task of teaching myself how to do it. After  several attempts and that word Try, Try  and Try again, the third attempt I had cracked it. With an odd ball of wool leftover from something or other I have made a headband. It is a fantastic, textural stitch and with a variegated yarn gives some lovely effects. In making a headband and in the round the stitches had to be adapted a little but worked out just the same. I think the photo is upside down but you get the idea. If you search youtube for crocodile stitch then you will find several tutorials.

 



 

 

Quilting has started on the smallest of the baby quilts. I am using a perle thread and a large stitch and in a beautiful shade of lavender. I made a daisy template and have drawn them at random. For the backing I used a brushed cotton sheet that was given to me by Joan from Dotty Dolly. I washed it several times to soften it and it is perfect. The wadding is a very fine and soft cotton which I think is called Rose Dream and the whole thing is soft and cuddly. I am calling this one a practice one in readiness for the larger quilt.

 

 

You will notice a strange looking object on top of the quilt. It is a bag frame for a rather special project that I found a few weeks back. It took some tracking down and a nice lady in China sent them to me super quick. All I have to do is decipher the instructions that are in French and I shall be away.

 

 

 

On New Year's Day Mick and myself had a little drive to Sidmouth for some fresh air. The weather forecast was for yet more rain but turned out better than expected and it brought out  quite a few people enjoying the sea air. There were even a few brave souls surfing.

 

 

 

Here is wishing you all the very best for the coming year and to many happy stitching hours.

 

 

Love Shirley.