A Little Herd Of Elephants

 Along with the paper piecing I was having so much fun with there was something else very much on my mind, one of N.H.A.Ps requests for this month was for crochet or knitted elephants, one of these little elephants is put into a memory box and given to someone who has miscarried...

 this is a new thing for us we have never been asked to make elephants before but I think it's very apt, an elephant never forgets just as you would never forget the baby you lost even if it's in the very early stages of your pregnancy. 

I had made just two of these when I got the awful news that my lovely DIL had miscarried, I found it very strange that I had just started making these when this awful thing happened to her. 

She was rushed to hospital and had to have a blood transfusion because she had lost so much blood, we were so grateful for the treatment she received, the ambulance was there in just ten minutes and she was well looked after in hospital which unfortunately is not always the norm these days. 

I felt quite helpless because at the time I was too ill myself to be with her so I decided to make her a little memory box, it helped me to feel that at least I was doing something positive for her.

She was well enough to visit me last weekend and thankfully although she is very pale she is physically improving although mentally it will take her a long time to get over losing her baby. She loved the little box although it made her cry which wasn't my intension. She said it was because it was so beautiful.😌

So now we are nearing the end of February, another month has sped by and I have to say that this year has been pretty awful so far, it's hard to keep positive when things seem to be crumbling around you both at home and in our own little circle of family and friends but also out there in the wider world where the news is so grim. 

I have just been to my tinnitus group and we were told to try and enjoy the little things and be thankful for five simple things that have made your day worthwhile, I think that's good advice and will go a long way in helping you to keep thinking positive.

Mine for today are ..

1. The sun is shining
2. I found some chocolate I didn't even know I had.😄
3. The interaction of my tinnitus group this morning, it's lovely to be amongst people who can understand what you are going through and have a good laugh about it.
4. I'm completely free this afternoon to sit in my sunny conservatory and craft the afternoon away.
5. I'm sure that I will think of another before the day is out.

What has made you smile today?

Take care until next time😘😘

  

Having Fun with something new

 Becki from the blog Field Lilies has decided that she is going to push herself to try as many new things as she can this year and has invited us to join her, you can read her post here.

I think that it's a great idea because we all know that it's good for us to try something new, it keeps our brains active and it boosts our mood as well. Most of the new things I try I have to admit are mostly craft related but there are a few exceptions and I want to expand on those.  I have counted up the new things I have tried so far this year and they are as follows

1.  Made a square with a c2c chart.
2. Dabbled in needle felting
3. Assembled a lamp for the first time (I don't know if that counts but it's my list so it's staying there haha)

Number Four

Who would have thought that cutting out countless pentagon shapes would be so satisfying.  

I was unable to attend my u3a Patchwork Group for the last couple of sessions because I was unwell, although it's called a patchwork and embroidery group we dabble in all types of crafts really which always makes it interesting and a lot of fun too.

The leader of the group was good enough to email me details of  what they were making  and provided me with instructions and templates for the pentagons.  The object is to make little bowls using fabric pentagons using the English Paper Piecing  (EPP)  method.

When I looked over the instructions and realised the amount of work involved I thought no way! but do you know I'm enjoying every bit of the process.

 I didn't think I would have the patience to cut out all the bits that I would need, as it turned out, I was completely absorbed and it kept me totally focused on what I was doing which in turn helped me forget the awful way I was feeling health wise. 

  I was so happy with how this cute little bowl turned out and as you can see I even managed to centre the fabric so that it all looks quite symmetrical, I'm feeling quite proud of myself  😊.

Now that I'm feeling well again and going about my daily business as usual, I'm feeling quite frustrated that I don't have enough time to just sit and play with these pentagons all day.  Everything I was going to do this month has been put to one side so that I can focus on these but now I need to stop and make room for something else, I can continue with these next week at the next patchwork class.

If you would like to try these yourself you can find a great tutorial here  

and on YouTube here

Number Five 

I've joined my u3a Italian Language group, now this is a biggie for me because I'm finding it increasingly difficult to retain new knowledge it seems to take me so much longer than it used to and Italian is entirely new to me.  I was completely overwhelmed at my first session yesterday but I'm determined to give it a try so please wish me luck I'm going to need it. 😵

Have you tried anything new lately?

Five new things so far for 2022

Take care until next time. 😘😘

Linking with Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching.

Sum of their Stories Handmade Monday

It's Got To Be Hearts!

 Once again thank you for the kind comments on my last post, I did enjoy putting that round up together and yes Babs I may do one at the end of each month, it's like a photo journal really and it would be good to look back and see what happened at a glance.  Why don't you all join me.😊

Valentines day is just around the corner and although I don't celebrate it, I love hearts and always use this time of year as an excuse to make some in some shape or form, I have a heart theme going on in my home and you can find hearts in every room.

This year I decided to kill two birds with one stone, produce a heart in a c2c square and by doing that I was learning how to follow a c2c chart something which I have been wanting to learn to do for a while, especially after seeing the lovely blanket Amanda made back here. 

Sarah has some adorable free designs on her blog however I followed this pattern here for the heart square.

It was easy enough to follow the chart but those ends at the back and sometimes even at the front were a challenge, but once they were woven in you can't even tell they were there. It hasn't put me off, I will make something else using this technique, like everything else the more you practice the easier it becomes.

 I enlarged the square to 12 inches using groups of two half trebles, then I made another in the same way.

Then I made two simple c2c square's ..

then the four squares were sewn together to make another 24 inch square to be added to a memory blanket.  So it was three birds with one stone really.😄

And that's not all! 

Remember I said that I would like to try needle felting well like you Jo I have a needle felting kit, I can't remember where I bought it from or why, I have been wanting to try needle felting for a while and must have bought it on a whim but the fact that I can't remember doing that is quite scary really.

This is as far as I've got I'm afraid and yes it had to be hearts for the simple reason there was a heart template in the kit and I love hearts and it's the season of love 😍

It was easy enough but wanting to develop my skills I joined a Facebook page for beginners and when I saw what they have produced it put me off! how can they be beginners? the intricate little creatures they have created wow! I then looked at some YouTube tutorials on how to make needle felt pictures, they make it look so easy but believe you me it isn't.  So I have put it to one side for now making simple shapes is easy enough and it is very satisfying to stab the needle through the wool over and over again, I'm thinking maybe stars for next Christmas but you never know watch this space. 

Health

I did one of those online NHS consultations last week because I was getting no better, a couple of days later the receptionist at my GP surgery rang me and said that the Doctor had read my consultation and he wanted her to give me an appointment. I was quite stunned I was actually going to see a GP in person face to face for the first time since the start of the pandemic.  Well I needn't have got so excited as it was the practice nurse I saw, I'm wondering where the GPs are hiding.  Anyway she was lovely and listened to my chest and prescribed some antibiotics for me, I started taking them in the morning by late evening I could actually slightly taste the camomile tea I was drinking and now four days later feel much better, I'm still coughing and congested but not nearly as much, I can tell that this thing whatever it is will take it's time but as long as I feel well enough to go out and about that's all that matters. 

Spring is just around the corner..

Have a lovely Valentines Day if you are celebrating, take care and see you next time. 😘😘

A New Month

 Hello all you lovely people and a big thank you for all the get well wishes I do hate to go on about my health but this awful chest infection is still with me and I'm now feeling congested with a blocked nose and sinus's so I'm just really popping in to say hi to let you know I'm still around even if I am feeling decidedly yucky.  I'm thinking positive it's now been 21 days so things have got to take a turn for the better pretty soon. 

I thought that because it's the start of February I would do a quick round up of what I produced in January just to reassure myself really that even though  I was ill for half of it, it hasn't been a complete waste of time. 

Memory Blanket Squares 

I have made lots of these in the past but now we are asked to make four twelve inch squares and sew them together, then that large 24 inch square will be sewn to others to make a bigger 48 x 72 inch blanket. These will be sent to critical care units for end of life patients and then to be passed onto the patients families.

This is the first four I have made and sewn together simple c2c squares using yarn from my stash.

I have just started the next four, again c2c, it's the first time I have used a graph for c2c and it's quite fiddly with all the changing of colours but I am determined to succeed and all will be revealed later.

My January

1. Throw, completed for sitting room
2. New houseplants bought to cheer myself up.
3. New Lamp
4. January birth flower snowdrops embroidery.
5. Memory squares (see above)
6. Brothers wheelchair cushion cover yet to be fitted to cushion.
7. Hexagons (explanation to come later )
8. I'm ill please don't judge 😏

Thoughts for February

• Complete embroidery project (not yet revealed and won't ever be if it doesn't turn out right😂)
• Complete another four memory squares
• Crochet elephants (explanation later)
• Embroider February birth flower
• Patchwork baskets (explanation later)
• Needle felting. 
• Punch needle embroidery.

The last two are things I would like to try but haven't as yet, have any of you? I have to remember that February is a short month and it's already nearly one week in, so my targets are probably unrealistic but I like to have a few things to think about even if they don't go much further than thought. What are your plans for February?

Take care until next time. 😘😘