Getting Edgy Again

Hi everybody, and thank you all for the comments you left on my last post. 

I have now finished the second of the pair of pillowcases edged in green and blue, and have since moved on to a few more. Am loving these crochet trims and am on a bit of a roll with them!

Several people have asked what yarn I used for the blue and green crochet trim, and I have since worked out that it must be Patons 100% Cotton DK, a mercerised cotton, based on finding a ball of this in my stash with the label still wrapped round it.

It makes up beautifully and is machine washable.

I found this pillowcase below that I edged with a simple crochet trim several years ago, but I crocheted the trim first and stitched it on afterwards rather than doing blanket stitch then crocheting into that, as I have above.

 I might have a go at some more like this as I like the pretty, subtle edge they add. You could add them to a vintage pillowcase or just perk up some of your current pillowcases. As I'm usually trying to give new life to unwanted fabrics, I like perking up any clean and good conditioned vintage ones I find.

I bought a few balls of Sirdar Calico cotton yarn last week, in white, primrose, pale pink and a pale apricot, as I managed to find another couple of sets of vintage floral pillowcases in the charity shop, again only 50p each.

The photo below was taken at night so the colours don't show up well. The pale pink looks more like the colour in the second photo below.

This is one of the vintage pillowcase sets I found, covered in sprigs of yellow tulips ( I think ), and I have trimmed them with a lovely coral Sirdar Calico DK yarn (60% Cotton, 40% Acrylic) from my stash, combined with a pale lime green Sirdar Luxury Soft Cotton 4 ply (100% Cotton) to pick out the colour of the tiny leaves. 

I now wish I had used the Patons mercerised cotton for the contrast green though, as this 4 ply kept splitting as it's very like a 6 strand embroidery thread, and it also wasn't really thick enough. 

It also didn't have the same visual impact as the Patons, and instead of giving that strong pop of colour I was after, like the green and blue trim, it looks scanty!

This new crochet book arrived at the weekend - I think I saw it mentioned over on Annette's blog My Rose Valley, and thought it looked a goody. 

Full of lots of inspiring granny squares for all levels of crocheters, with both written and diagrammatic instructions, and some project ideas too.

Moving away from crochet, it struck me this morning whilst doing the washing up, that the basil on my windowsill is still going strong.

I've had this pot of basil since last spring, when I sowed a large pot of basil seeds in the greenhouse, and it's been flourishing on my kitchen windowsill ever since, providing fresh basil leaves for numerous dishes throughout summer, autumn and winter. It is still producing new leaves even now although some parts have died back.

This prompted me to take my camera outside this morning into the soggy and sad garden to see what is happening out there, and I spotted a few hopeful signs.

The first daffodil......

a scattering of the first purple crocus, closed against the rain and dull grey sky

a lone bright pink cyclamen hiding under a rhodedendron...............

This hellebore I planted last spring, and as the weather has been so foul for weeks and weeks, I still haven't yet taken off the leaves as advised by Alan Titchmarsh.

This shouldn't be flowering yet!

A single snowdrop

new foliage unfurling on a rose bush

lots of bright orange berries for the birds

.................last years trailing blue lobelia in the hanging baskets is regenerating................

................and indeed is still producing the odd flower!

Sprouting fuschia against a backdrop of wet leaves............

And although the sun is trying to come out now, after a very wet morning when Logan and I got drenched walking in the muddy, soggy orchards, I think I shall just settle down to some more of this.........

Have a good week everybody!

Crochet-edged Vintage Pillowcases

Whilst the weather continues wet and windy, my afternoons, when I am at home, are being devoted to indulging in the creative whim of the moment.

And this afternoon's whim was adding a crochet trim to a pair of pretty vintage pillowcases I found in a charity shop a week or two ago, for the bargain price of 50p each.

I have crochet-trimmed vintage pillowcases before, here and here, after being inspired by the gorgeous crochet-edged pillows in Rosehip's blog a few years ago, and buying this Mollie Makes Crochet book a couple of months ago I was excited to find that it included several edgings designed by Rosehip.

So finding these pretty pillowcases covered with tiny blue roses and even tinier blue spots, buried amongst piles of old duvet covers, sheets and curtains, was serendipitous.

And so, with the rain battering the windows, the wind howling outside, a good fire roaring away in the wood-burner, and a friend in for a cup of tea and a chat, I finished one pillowcase this afternoon.

As I had two balls of cotton, both which matched the flowers on the pillowcase, and not being able to decide which one to use, I went for using both. 

I used the green yarn to blanket stitch the edges first, then crocheted the first round in blue, then the second and final round in green. I'm glad I did as I like how it's turned out.

Another project I've pulled out of  the pile of WIPs for finishing off are these patchwork cushion covers started over a year ago. Made from new fabrics for a change, these are pieced from reproduction 1930s and feedsack fabrics, with simple embroidered hearts on white squares.

Even though I'm using new fabrics, I am using second hand embroidery threads that I picked up from the antique and flea market.

A peachy pink for these pretty yellow and pink tiny florals...........

.......and a pretty pale blue for the blue fabric patchwork top

I've marked the heart shapes ready for embroidering in a simple running stitch, and then I just need to make them up into covers and put them in my Etsy shop with some other Spring-like products.

I am still working on the reverse applique cushion cover, using these three shades of oranges and red, and I'm liking the look of this sea green thread as a pop of contrasting colour. 

Not sure yet how or where I'll use it.

Linking up with Chrissie Crafts and Ladybird Diaries in the Bloomin' Crochet-a-Long today, so check out the others linking up here.

Hope you have a happy and creative week!

First one..............

Hello everybody, and thank you for your visit and comments on my last few posts! 

I'm not sure quite where the last week has gone, but I was busy out and about with friends which always seems to make the time fly, as well as the usual chores, a bit of sewing and a bit of reading.

On the creative front, I am chuffed to have made my first Etsy sale! Someone has purchased one of my hand-embroidered hearts made from vintage wool.

This came as a huge surprise as I had only stocked my shop for the first time before Christmas with Christmas stock, and had just been thinking that as I had missed the opportunity to have a January sale I may as well remove the mostly Christmas themed items.

But I had completely forgotten the potential for Valentine's Day gifts!  Many of my listed products are hearts,  made from vintage mangle cloth, linen and wool, and not all are purely festive, and so I should have jumped on the bandwagon a little earlier and listed some other items that would fit the bill as a gift on Valentine's Day. 

I shall try and list some of these lavender stacks in my Etsy Shop in the next few days, as they would make a sweet scented gift, and not just for Valentine's Day. 

Should anyone be interested in purchasing one before then, please email me for details.

In the evenings I have been enjoying these enchanting novels by Sarah Jio. 

I'm not good at book reviews, but to give you some idea they are mainly set in the Seattle area, and are written in a way that makes it hard for you to put down. One is set on an island ( The Violets of March), one in a waterfront floating community - think Sleepless in Seattle! (Morning Glory), and one in a beautiful old English manor house (The Last Camellia). They are beautifully descriptive, and so the settings in which they take place become easily imaginable in your minds eye as you read - you can envisage being there. These all  have a flower link running throughout, as suggested by the titles, but are foremost stories with a mystery to unravel from another generation, of life and love, of chance, sadness, dreams and missed opportunities, of tragedy and of lives interwoven across several generations. 

Each one I found hard to put down.

Each one I was sad to finish.

When I've had the chance I have been plodding on with my reverse applique cushion.

Having found the reverse applique fiddly and time consuming, I am now enjoying making it!  

I have added stitching around the leaf shapes in dark yellow, orange and red thread, and am in the process of embroidering little white French Knots.

Just embroidering what is in my minds eye rather than having a design on paper.

Logan lies behind me whilst I sew, as this is not only the best place for watching the world go by, but it also provides the best light for stitching by, especially on the greyer days.

To cheer up the grey days, more pretty primulas have somehow found their way inside the house, this time into the bathroom.

And whilst I ponder on what design of blanket to make with the yarn shown in my last post, I am reminded several times a day when I pass the little crochet corner on the landing, of the unfinished bright granny squares blanket waiting in my basket.

But it's not all unfinished works around here! 

When on my last crochet roll, I did manage to make and finish a little denim blue beanie hat just before Christmas. Using a pattern from one of the Nicki Trench crochet books, probably the Cute and Easy Crochet one, it turned out well and fits beautifully. 

Wishing you all a happy and creative week!