Thursday, September 27, 2012

Gathering acorns...

While I was staying at Cranberry Cottage, I finally finished the first of three pieces of stitching intended to hang at the cottage. Here is the Coeur D' Automne by Gazette94.....


I used only a portion of the pattern making it fit into these wonderful frames I found. They have the perfect outdoor theme for Cranberry Cottage. Although they look like wood, they are made of a very heavy plaster. I will be making Coeur Hiver next. I have had these sitting started for ages so it is nice to see another UFO being finished.


Yesterday was a very busy day baking fabric. I need tea dyed muslin for a surprise for the ladies from my quilt group who have reserved a place at my Halloween High Tea party. I have to make 10 surprises. It is taking more time than I had anticipated so if I am not around much it is because I am very busy in my quilt studio.


I started the tea dying yesterday morning at 10am and only took the last piece of muslin out of the oven at 6pm when Saskia came by after work. I had also made a big pot of lentil soup so asked her to stay and enjoy soup and bread by the woodstove. What says autumn more than soup by the fire?


Heidi

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Set the table!

I have a set of dishes that is a simple service for two. I use these for Jos and I every day since it is easier than getting out our good set of dishes. We are big soup lovers and with cold weather coming, I decided to do a fun project while I was still at Cranberry Cottage since I had finished my autumn throw.


So I went to Zeeman and bought some of their chunky Nigra yarn in taupe.


I used a coaster pattern on Karen's blog which you can find here. Using a chunky yarn and 4,5mm hook, I was able to make the coaster larger to use as a soup bowl coaster.


I also adapted the pattern to create a matching placemat for the plates. It will work with my large and small plates very well. I love having this little set now to use with our simple every day dishes.


Heidi

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

One A Day project ... TaDah!

What a happy day once again! Another TaDah post in such a short time. I think I am on a roll with my crocheting. I finished my autumn throw well in time for the season to begin...


I created a granny stripe border of three rows of dark brown followed by a row of heather. I then did another row of dark brown and used this simple double V edging. It came up really nicely but...


...it needs blocking which I will have to do with a low temperature iron when I get home. I am at Cranberry Cottage today so unable to do that although I wanted to show you the overall effect. Until I can block it, it has a little wonky look when laid out on the floor.


I am really amazed at how fast this throw went. I have little bits of yarn left which I am making an autumn leaf garland with. It is nice to use just about every inch of the yarn. *grins*


This post is linking with Carole's One a Day Tuesday tallies.

Heidi

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tuesday tallies...Guess where we are?

Notice anything different in the photo? I am posting my Tuesday tallies from Bad Bentheim, Germany. This is the view early morning from the balcony of our pension. We can see the castle in the distance.


Can you see it now with the close up?


It is all lit up at night.


So off we walked to go visit it this morning. For we people from Dutch pancake country, this is quite a walk all up steep hills. It is worth it as the castle is beautiful to see.


So I am not working at my normal tempo but still have done well this past week. I have made a further 59 little grannies for my autumn throw. I now have 121 completed of the 125. I wish I could add another row but this is all the yarn I have left and would need to make 13 blocks but only have enough for 9 I think.


It will become longer and wider though when I start on the edging. I am using a double strand of a dark brown yarn from my stash to do the edges. I have used 17 skeins of yarn so far for the grannies and almost used all of each of the last skeins.


One of the things I am working on is trying to understand how to figure how much yarn is needed for an afghan. Any tips? After two years of making many afghans already, I have still not quite gotten the hang out of judging the amounts.

This afghan will have a few memories hooked into it with today being here in Germany celebrating Jos' birthday. Off home tomorrow morning early though as my monthly quilt group meets on Wednesday evening.

I am linking to Carole's Tuesday Tallies.

Heidi

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Have you seen a UFO fly by?

The UFOs are flying around here as yet another old project has been completed. I was able to get another one finished yesterday bringing me to 3 UFOs completed in August. Big smiles all around!

Some time ago, I had admired some pillows that a quilting friend had made. They were made from a pretty woven fabric. She had some left and gave it to me. I could also make pillows but decided to do something unusual with the shapes of the various motifs. I cut them out in various shapes...


Sewed them (this was last year but they did not get farther than sewing them together) and stuffed them...


Then thread a long piece of jute through them with beads between the pillows to create my Alpine Christmas hanger...


Maybe it is having the name Heidi but I love the country mountain look. *grins*



Heidi