Mandala Making

Posted on 27 May, 2018 by patchworkfairy

I do love flitting about between projects!

This week my weaving obsession has subsided a bit and I’ve concetrated on a bit of crochet mandala making! I follow Attic 24’s blog and she recently posted about her mandalas and included some links to patterns. It was just the right time for me as I had some Stylecraft Classique Cotton to use and I always love trying new yarn so bought some Ricorumi as well to extend my colour choices!

First I made the ‘Positivity Mandala – a free pattern from Attic 24. My colour choices represent the hot summer sun in the bright azure blue summer skies!

Crochet mandala in summer blues and sunny orange colours. — It would make a lovely table mat!

Next I made the Dreamcatcher Mandala pattern by The Loopy Stitch.

Crochet Dreamcatcher hanging up — Hanging Dreamcatcher

Although both would make pretty table mats I decided they would have more effect hanging in our summer room inbetween the fairy lights so they look good Day or night!

Two Mandalas hanging in a summer room — Mandalas hanging in the summer room

Attic 24 used metal craft rings to hold the mandalas and so I did the same. I got my rings from Glitterwitch who had them in stock and had very reasonable postage!

Now the only question is ….. how many do I make?!!!

Hooking up with Handmade Monday https://www.sumoftheirstories.com/blog/2018/handmade-monday-77

New Patchwork Fairy Dresses!

Posted on 28 May, 2017 by patchworkfairy

So I’ve finished my new range of handmade patchwork fairy dresses and I’m almost ready to put them in my Folksy and Etsy Patchwork Fairy shops! It’s taken quite a while to complete them as handfinishing is quite time consuming! I’ve loved creating these – it’s just my kind of thing – Fairies, pink, purple, ribbons, floaty tulle and crochet!

My first dresses are all small sizes while I test the market. I can make them in larger size to order if necessary. Already a friend has requested an adult size so she can float about playing Fairy Godmother!!

Doesn’t taking photos take a long time?! Much harder than you’d think to try and set a scene and get the lighting right. I took a lot of photos trying to get the perfect one, not sure I’ve really got it right yet though!

Pink dress with cotton and silk bodice

I enjoyed crocheting the bodices in some lovely tactile yarns.

Violet and Pink soft cotton bodice with pink, purple and blue tulle.

This bodice of this one is a fresh Egyptian cotton

Lemon cotton bodice with delicate tulle skirt.

Silk and cotton and merino wool bodice with delicate pastel coloured tulle skirt.

These are not everyday dressess so I’m hoping to appeal to the market of special occasion dresses – birthdays, weddings, flower girl, family photo occasion etc. This is a departure from things I’ve previously sold on Folksy and so I’ve run the shop down deliberately so I can launch the dresses as a new line.

One comment I’ve had from my test pictures is that fairy dresses should be sold with wings – I’d welcome any comments about them and whether you agree with the wings idea – I wasn’t originally intending to sell wings!

Planned Pooling in Crochet

Posted on 5 February, 2017 by patchworkfairy

Crocheted a cowl in Red Heart ‘Autumn’ or ‘Fall’ as it’s called in USA!

I’ve been fascinated recently by the planned pooling technique in crochet! It’s a method of crochet which involves carefully counting and manipulating your stitches to force an Argyle type pattern. It’s not easy! I actually used 3 diffferent hook sizes to get the patterning to work as I kept needing to use more or less yarn up in within the rows!

There is a very helpful Facebook group called Planned Pooling in Crochet with lovely, helpful members who advise and support newbie after newbie tearing their hair out and crying “it’ll never work! I just can’t do it!” It’s definitely worth joining if you want to try the pooling technique. This Pooling calculator is very useful too, although it’ll mean more to you if you read through the Facebook group posts first!

I used Red Heart super saver to make this cowl as not many UK yarns will pool – the sequence of colour change in the yarns has to be just right and even some Red Heart will not pool. Fortunately the Autumn shade above pools relatively easily. I bought a few different balls of this type of yarn whilst I was about it as it took ages to find a supplier in UK!

Below is the start of another scarf using Red Heart Supersaver in Wildflower. I love this colourway – it’s very pretty! The only downside of Planned Pooling is you can’t really watch TV whilst doing it as it need concentration!! Hence it will take me a very long time to make another complete scarf and much as I’d like a blanket in it ….. not sure the old brain could sustain the focus!😀😀😀

Yarn in purple, yellow and green making an argyle patttern

The start of a new Planned Pooling project

So if you fancy a new project and you can already crochet quite well I’d recommend Planned Pooling – but a word of warning – once you start you just might not be able to stop! (And you might miss your favourite TV programme!) 😜

Crocheted a cowl in Red Heart ‘Autumn’ or ‘Fall’ as it’s called in USA!

New Year means tidy the craft room!

Posted on 19 January, 2017 by patchworkfairy

Well it’s New Year and that means it’s time to tidy the craft room! I can no longer make anything in there as there is no room! I can’t post a picture because it’s too awful for public viewing! I may, once it has been restored to normality, post some before and after pics!

But for now, here here is a brief roundup of some of my recents makes and adventures!

This ribbon was on my presents from my son – far too good to throw out!

This crochet flag was finally finished!

My crochet flag of Guyana for the Sixty Million Trebles Project

This was a post Christmas walk!

View over the boating lake at West Kirby

This is my latest stash increase as I am addicted to crochet planned pooling!

My new red heart yarn for planned pooling

This was a refreshing walk in the North Wales wind!

Twilight on Llandudno Pier

And finally, it’s back to Patchwork class and a new project!

My latest fabric selection for a new patchwork wall hanging!

Well that’s all for now! I’ll be back with some updates on the planned pooling projects once my craft room is tidy! 😏

Crocheted Fairy Tea Cosy!

Posted on 19 June, 2016 by patchworkfairy

I finally finished it! My first crocheted fairy tea cosy!

Crochet Tea Cosy in teal snd purple and pink in the shape of a Fairy House with flowers and Leaves sewn on.

My first one!

It’s taken quite a while as I had to adapt the pattern for my Tea Pot and crocheting all the adornments and sewing them on took longer than crocheting the base cover! I’m keeping this as an ornament for me and going to start some more smaller ones as presents for … you know…(whispers quietly) Christmas!!

The pattern for this was originally found here but fortunately now part of it has been translated and stored in the files of one of my Facebook crochet groups. The other way I managed was by opening up the Russian web page in google chrome as it automatically asks you if you would like the page translating. It’s not perfect but it is a good help if you are an experienced crocheter

I’m still making my Sophie too!

Crocheting in the garden!

and working on a fairy dress for my Grandaughter’s first birthday – it’s not sewn up yet as I need to have a fitting session – not easy with a wriggly nearly-one-year-old!

Baby girl's fairy dress in pink, blue and lemon lace.

Charlotte’s fairy dress WiP!

So once the dress is finished just the cake to design! Think it might just be a fairy house! Pictures will follow after the party in 2 weeks!

Linking up with Handmade Monday at Lucy Blossom Crafts

Crocheted Fairy House Tea-Pot Cover!

Posted on 10 April, 2016 by patchworkfairy

So I’ve got this awful cough and cold and can’t get on with my caravan makeover so I have devoted my lolling about time to – what else? – trawling through Facebook and Pinterest of course😀 Best way to cheer yourself up – that and some crochet! A while back I spotted on Pinterest a most gorgeous crocheted fairy House tea-pot cover with instructions which I really, really wanted to try and make. Unfortunately as the pattern was in Russian and google translate couldn’t cope with crochet terms I though I would never be able to attempt it. So what have I been doing this weekend?

The ‘wizard’s hat’ part complete!

Oh happy day! I found there was a part translation in the files section of a crochet group of which I am (was) not a member. Now I am revelling in the pictures of WiPs and patterns etc from the new group and on my way with the crochet tea pot cover! Can’t ever be in too many crochet groups eh?

Crochet tea pot cover in purple and teal yarn

Just started the side pieces

I’m enjoying making this immensely, despite the racking cough and general aches and pains. It’s taking longer than the one day suggested but that’s fine!

Crochet fairy tea-pot cover taking shape

This was my progress last night when I had to stop and rest! There’s no detailed instructions for number of stitches etc after the wizard hat part as you simply make the cover to fit your tea pot. It’s not too difficult though if you are experienced in making things.

Completed the cover all round – now need to add the little mushrooms and fairies and flowers!

So, here I am with the base cover crocheted! Now I will have great fun making little extras to adorn it – some such as the door and windows are in the pattern, the rest I will make up or use some little flowers and leaves like ones found in Attic 24 patterns.

If you want to see what the finished thing looks like you can follow this link.Here to my Facebook page where I shared the finished crocheted tea pot cover by a page entitled Haken en breien en naaien en juwelen kantklossen woon idees. I can’t work out any other way to credit the original as it’s somewhere on the page last year and linking direct to it won’t show the teapot

Next week I will have my very own crocheted fairy house tea-pot cover finished! Watch this space for pictures!

Linking up with Handmade Monday

Mainly Crochet..

Posted on 7 March, 2016 by patchworkfairy

Oh gosh it’s been a while!

I’ve made some nice things over the last few weeks, mainly crochet, just haven’t got round to writing about it!

Charlotte’s new blanket

new owner of the blanket!

Front of cushion

Stylecraft Candy Pop Cusion – one large granny square on one side and lots of solid grannies (😂) on the other!

I’m also making a Spice of Life CAL blanket but I’m a bit behind!!!!

Next project is an amazing crocheted teapot cover I have found but the pattern is in Russian so not sure how I’ll manage yet! So it’s still mainly crochet for me!

Knitting Socks!

Posted on 13 December, 2015 by patchworkfairy

I don’t know how many of you read Attic 24 ? But Lucy recently posted about her foray into sock knitting, as opposed to her usual crocheting. Well half the world (including me) seems to have gone ~~sock bonkers~~ been inspired to also take up sock knitting and the wool that Lucy used has vanished from sale as have nearly all the circular needles in 2.5mm! I tried to order from Amazon but they were cleaned out and didn’t have a restock date! The power of social media eh?!

I did manage to find some wool in the same range, but not the colour way as that had sold out completely! I managed to secure some pretty alternatives though!

My 4 varieties of sock wool!

I couldn’t just order one ball though like a sensible person, no I had to have 4 so that I didn’t pay postage! Saving money! Totally justified 😜.

I selected my ball for my first ever hand knitted sock and joined the online support group called Winwick Mum Sock a long! The sock pattern was designed by Christine Perry aka Winwick Mum and the FB group is full of devotees who are willing and eager to be as helpful as needed.

My post in the group of this picture has about 70 Likes!!

The adventure begins!

I was quite excited when I posted the above, but that soon gave way to frustration and misery as I tried to make the tiny little needles behave! So much harder than my lovely, comfy crochet hook! I’ve also got a gap in my knitting which obviously shouldn’t be there and I am a little embarrassed yet to own up in the FB group! Hopefully I can do a bit more this evening and get it in better shape!

So that’s my crafting for the next few weeks sorted! As well of course as making Santa sacks for the grandchildren, finishing patchwork Yule items and making family pressies!

I’m going to hop round Handmade Monday blogs this evening and tomorrow where I shall undoubtably find most people have finished and wrapped their crafty presents already! Ho Ho Ho!

Crochet-a-Long and a new project book!

Posted on 28 September, 2015 by patchworkfairy

I am very excited this week! I have started the Spice of Life Crochet-a-Long (CAL) run by Black Sheep Wools (you can see my blog post of my first visit to the shop here). There is a Facebook page for the CAL which has lots of wonderful pictures of people’s blankets as they complete the first part. A new part is published on the BSW website each Tuesday. I am slightly behind as I have only managed the first two rows but I will catch up soon. I am also very excited this week because in perusing all the pictures last week I noticed some had a lovely looking project book in the background in which they were recording their blanket progress. Facebook is wonderful for finding out stuff – of course I wasn’t the only one who liked the idea of a new project book and someone had already enquired in the comments as to where to get them! Quick bit of link-following and via the magic of PayPal I had ordered one. Today it arrived!

Crochet project book and two rows of crochet in Grape colour

Only two rows done but got my nice new project book

It’s published by Doodlestop – they make all sorts of wonderful accessories for knitting and crochet- the yarn holder is definitely on my present wish list! The WIP-0-PEDIA has some useful information at the beginning then the rest is printed pages with headwinds for you to record your WiPs details, like yarn used and pattern source. As I never remember these things a couple of years down the line, I intend to fill in all the details at the start of each new project as I tend to become bored and to start new projects before finishing the others 😀

And on that theme, here is my other WIP – summer blanket in cotton as I thought it would be more pleasant in the hot weather than crocheting with wool or acrylic. This is the one I started on the day of my admission to hospital in early August for my Knee replacement. The latter is also the reason why I haven’t got very far with it!

WIP-O-PEDIA book and a summer blanket in cotton yarn

My summer blanket – typically being finished in Autumn!

this too will now going to be recorded in my new book. I’ve always loved new stationery so combining this with new crochet projects is just, well, perfect!

I should be able to have a good sized piece of CAL blanket to post next week as the pain from the surgery is much less now and I am starting to feel more ‘normal’ and able to do things without needing a nap every hour! Post surgery napping time is essential for recovery but really eats into your crochet time!

Linking up with Lucy Blossom Crafts Handmade Monday!

Baby Bunting and paraphanalia!!

Posted on 14 June, 2015 by patchworkfairy

Gosh been a busy couple of weeks!

This is is why:

4 Weeks to go!

new granddaughter will be here soon!

We we had the baby shower a couple of week’s ago for which I made some baby bunting!

The bunting on the wall

I had fun making this little pram for one of the flags!

The little pram I made!

we had cake, coffee and chat! A lovely day with lovely family and friends!

Now I am hard at work trying to recreate the ungirly black cabriofix car seat part into prettiness! It’s quite fiddly!

The car seat fixing thing!

think I’ve nearly cracked it – just need to sew the binding then arrange the pieces in the right place and bind both together! Sounds easy when I type it anyway! 😀 So much paraphanalia with babies!

So that’s been my recent work – next is the Hillary’s Blinds Competition and here is first glimpse of my fabric!

My daisy fabric

Well now I’m off to link up with Handmade Monday. Next post will reveal what I have made with my competition fabric!!!