Dabbling

Recently, I have mostly been 'dabbling'.

The chill in the air and the colour on the trees made me reach for my knitting needles again. Knitting and snuggling under a quilt with the curtains closed are meant to go together!

One front got finished, then the back taken back to the bottom of the armhole shaping and re-knitted the right size (I'd read the pattern wrong and finished it about 6cm shorter than needed!).  I won't say what this is yet, or who it is for - you know, intended recipient might be reading  and all that (though that would make her rather advanced for her age).

Then the main part of  another item.  This pattern is one that just made me smile so much I had to make it.  Again, it's a pressie, so will have to remain under wraps for the time being.

I also started this one, using a new technique, but as one of the double ended needles is currently in hiding, I haven't got very far!

I have also been contemplating the painting and decorating of this bird house, which I found impossible to resist on the Panduro website.  (Delivery time from Malmo - approx two weeks as it turned out.)

I painted some toadstools...

Washi-tape wrapped some tins and containers to keep all my crafty tools under control...

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Got inspired by Fading Grace's beautiful hexie quilt and got started on some one-inch hexies of my own, using Liberty scraps and salvaged embroidered bits...

'Eloise' - a fairly recent purchase

Faded 'Claire-Aude' from a skirt I had in the 80s

Purple 'Pepper' from a blouse I made when I lived in Paris after sixth form

Then decided I needed more Tana lawn to really have fun with this, so bought a couple of mini-bundles from Very Berry Fabrics on Folksy.

Then I was transported back to my childhood with visions of my Mum's brown canvas bag in which was kept a supply of paper hexagons, fabric, an ever growing number of tacked hexies and sewn together 'flowers'.  She worked on her enormous quilt for an entire decade and it is a wonder to look at, with snippets  of dresses that she'd made my sister and I, amongst others.

This won't have so many memories attached, but it's still nice to do!

I have also dabbled in a bit of beading.  At The Maltings last Saturday I was next to a very talented 'beader'.  She showed me how to make a daisy chain, which I was then longing to get home to try out.  Here are my efforts so far...

 Thanks to Penny, who sent me this beautiful card with a donation for the needlecase I had made from the Primark jumper...

Even the envelope was a joy!  

Thanks Penny! (Do drop by her blog for the sweetest photos of Finn the kitten playing.)

I finish my block of work tomorrow - yippeee! (even though I have actually loved almost every minute of my teaching) - so hope to be less 'dabbly' and more 'finishy' next week!