Craft Olympic UFO Finish

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Sunset on the beach here.

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Wisteria in Portsmouth taken when we surprised daughter picking her up a day early. After packing, she and I took a little break in her park where she had made friends with the squirrels during exams.

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She is now in Peru- the plane landed in Lima and she is waiting for the Cusco plane. Thank you for helping her make this dream come true.

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She very nearly didn’t make it after missing the bus in Southport on the 15th. She mis-remembered the number of the bus, so we ended up dashing across country to catch up with the bus in Liverpool using it’s on-line tracker.

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With such a start as that I wondered if she would get to Peru or end up in “Timbukto in darkest Africa”, as my old books say.

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We wont hear anything unless there is bad news until she lands at the end of the month. She gets back here on the 2nd September, so her blog will start telling us all about it then.

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I am so excited for her! I can’t wait to hear all about it.

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She’s been working very hard to have enough money for the inoculations and the extras like a trip up the Amazon and the Nazca Lines.

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I have mentioned how I like Peruvian textiles…a few times. 🙂

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But it is more important that she comes back safely having had a dream trip which she can treasure forever, unlike these 2 girls.

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Sorry I haven’t blogged in ages. I have managed a couple of things in spite of my finger. I was hoping to have the splint off this week but they want it kept on for another 2 weeks. Pah!

This is a UFO finish for the Craft Olympics. The fawn panel had been bonded in 2008 and then sat there, and got moved around the craft room, and eventually hidden away. When Sylvia had a UFO section to the Craft Olympics, I knew I had to do something with it, so here it is- a bag.

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The strap and side panels are in a William Morris fabric I picked up in Portsmouth. I bought some last time I was there too. 🙂

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The lining keeps the oak leaf theme going. It has pockets and a covered thick card base for stability.

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I reused an anorak zip for the top and bound the top edge in the same William Morris fabric.

It feels good to have finally done something with that bonded crow and oak leaf which were left overs from a 2008 project themselves, and just put there to be useful one day. I didn’t think it would take 5 years though!!

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As we finally had a Summer, I decided to get a patio set for this house. It’s been on my list for 10 years, so it wasn’t a frivolous whim no matter what darling husband says. I waited for the 50% off sale.

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And then bought this ultra girlie romantic set which he hates. 🙂 I told him I will charge him to sit on it. Hee hee.

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The only other thing I have managed is this huge pair of socks  for Son from Finnish sock yarn I bought with Ulla. I can just about manage the small sock needles with this splint if I work a little at a time. Daughter had the rainbow socks (last blog post) so it is now fair again.

Sorry I’ve not been visiting. As you can imagine, typing with this splint, is hard. Here’s hoping it can be gone soon. Good news though is that my back is the best it has been in a decade, and I no longer need physio. 🙂


Posted in Craft Olympics, Crafts, Travels by with 10 comments.

Quietly Crafting (Craft Olympics- New 3)

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I can blog this birthday present now it has arrived in New Zealand with Deb.

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It is called Mouse House

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By Faeries in my Garden.

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She and I are fans of those designs.

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There is something  romantic, whimsical and fairy tale about them.

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I am making one for myself

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But so far only my roof is done.

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It will have the same red dot flannel lining as Deb’s.

It is for my 3rd Thimble in the Craft Olympics “New Category.”

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Lynn has just welcomed her 1st grandson into the world.

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I made this little set for him.

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Daughter’s friend is having her baby shower on Friday.

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The blanket is ready and crocheted together.

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Back view.

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Daughter has a peg bag to take to her new house in September. It is the same fabric as the plastic bag dispenser I shared before. Thank you for the fabric Lynn.

Daughter has raised all she needed for the charity for the trip to Peru  (blog link) next month. Thank you all so much who helped her.  She will share the adventure, so we can all fly over the Nazca Lines, and camp up the Amazon, and climb the steps to Maccu Piccu.

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I wish I were in her luggage on this fabulous adventure. Instead I will be using our new peg bag with pink roses on blue.

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The old bird house one was ragged and sun faded.

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See what I mean?

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The UK has been having a heatwave, so of course I have been knitting Daughter these rainbow socks with wool from Finland.

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I made myself a slouch pair to go with leggings. LOVE rainbows!

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With the left overs I made this crochet brooch. This shows the true colour of the yarn.

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This is the last of a buddleia davidii which had taken up a 7ft corner of the garden. I like how it looks with the green and lilac of the silk flowers.

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This is what I’ve been working on most recently- a dark red Autumn bag for me.

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I fussy cut elves and mushrooms to go with rainbow dots for the front pocket.

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It is lined in dark red dot fabric.

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The back of the outer has a zipped pocket. There is also a grab handle, not just a shoulder strap.

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The inside is mushroom themed.

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I drew this embroidered mushroom based on the one below.

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Magnetic fastenings.

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The inner too has a zipped pocket.

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I’ve had trouble with my little finger this month. I heard it snap when we were on holiday in June. I didn’t think doctors did much with broken fingers, so I left it. Unfortunately I use that finger a lot (I didn’t know that!), and after a bout of cleaning to help a friend, and then knocking it at home, (it went a funny colour again), I finally saw a doctor today who gave me an x-ray. It turns out I have an avulsion fracture- a bit of bone has broken away in my top little finger joint.  It is now strapped in the snazzy dotty splint, so I shouldn’t bash it so much.  It might even have a chance to heal.

Apologies for not being in Blogland for so long. This heatwave has meant that the UK is having the 1st decent Summer in 7 years. I’ve been catching up with long overdue outside work. I’m glad so many of you have enjoyed the scheduled Road Trip posts. Hopefully life is almost back to normal again.


Posted in Craft Olympics, Crafts by with 10 comments.