Testing, testing 123

I thought I would write a quick test post to see if I really can do it from my iPhone and so see how the finished product looks. So here goes, some simple makeover photos of the Maggie dog following her visit to the beauty parlour yesterday for her spring clean!
Before.....


After...


Her undercoat is strawberry blonde!! I know she looks a little bald at the moment, but in a few weeks her scruffy bits begin to show through again!



Thanks for your time. I am off to see what this looks like on a 'proper' computer.
X

Tortoise talk and so on....

Thank you far the appreciation of the baby tortoises bathing.  They are in deed my pride and joy! The tortoise is the first picture is Talullah.  She was the first tortoise to move in with me and she is still here.
 Penny asked if the babies hibernate and the answer is yes and no.  They could hibernate at this young age, but so far I haven't had the courage to do it.  I wondered if perhaps you would indulge me in a few more torty pics and talk!  Its the next best this to having them out of hibernation!  I thought you might like to see the very beginning of my babies lives.  Well, not quite the beginning, I might just blush showing you pictures of both Mummy and Daddy having their moment together!! But then Mum (Persephone) laid her eggs, she buries them brilliantly and so if I don't catch her in the act, I miss the opportunity to incubate them as I would never find them and they would never hatch in the UK climate!

The eggs were incubated and after 68 days...

They hatched.  The next pic show the belly, where the yolk is absorbed, if you are squeamish scroll past it quickly!  But its not too bad!!

This is where the yolk is absorbed and this is crucial.  If the tortoise ruptures the yolk when hatching it is likely to be fatal.  The yolk provides all the initial nutrients needed and as a result it can be a few days before a tortoise hatchling needs to eat.  Once it does start eating they eat the same foods as an adult tortoise. Within a few days the area where the yolk was absorbed seals over and becomes shell.

This is Adah, my first ever hatchling.  Her name means beautiful addition, I think it's an apt name!

Any way onwards.  I finished the gift cushion mentioned in my previous post just in time. Well actually I was a half hour late for my class frantically trying to finish it off, but I think it was worth it and I think it was gratefully received!

 Good night one and all!

Missing My Babies (tortoise) and a Thank you Cushion for a Special Friend

Afternoon all!  How are you finding your Sunday afternoons?  Mine? Well not bad thank you for asking!! LOL

The weather is a wee bit unusual at the moment with blustery yet warmish days feeling more autumnal than wintery.  I am hoping that this weather will continue and that Spring will spring out sooner than spring has sprung in the past!  Although maybe this wish might be a little foolish as overall our climate really ought not to be changing quite so quickly.

Spring for me means Tortoises, lots of them, waking from hibernation, munching mounds of weeds and doing the spring time stomp around my garden. I can not tell you how much I am looking forward to that!  It seems too long ago now that they all went into hibernation.  Poor old Astrid with her snotty nose has kept me busy, but I think she has had enough of being cooped up indoors too.  Then there are the babies, they are all up and doing well, but I am sure they would prefer the spring time sunshine too!

From left to right we have Adah, Alba and Bronte.  Adah and Alba were 2008 babies, Bronte, 2009.  As you can see they are taking a little bath, which they do every day.  Water is very important to tortoises, you can see Alba in the middle is having a little drink.  Yet pet shops often tell prospective new owners that they don't need water as they get enough liquid in their food!  As you can see that is rubbish!  Many tortoise owners that I know of,  regularly fall out with local pet shops over the  awful husbandry advice they give out.  Its seems many pet shops suggest expensive glass tanks and all sorts of rubbish commercial foods when actually they are more harmful than helpful!  Sorry, rant over!!

   

As you can see this little WIP is going to be a Granny's Garden Cushion by the Royal Sisters.This is the second full cushion I have made in this pattern and I have also made an "in the style of" cushion which I will show another time.  It's a great little pattern, easy to follow and very rewarding.  But this cushions is a special thank you cushion.  A lady I  knew to chat to some years ago through work, turned up at the same quilting group as me.  We started chatting again and then the other day she gave me walking foot for my sewing machine, explaining she never got on with a walking foot and now she is having a new machine.  Now a walking foot is not cheap and she would not accept any money, so I thought a thank you cushion was in order.  It needs to be done by Wednesday, I best get hooking!  X

Retro Chic! Vintage Inspiration.

Well I am far too awake for 11.50pm and so instead of wasting time, I thought I would come visit the Blog land.  I take great joy in reading other peoples blogs; they are so inspiring and heart warming, although at times I am also struck in awe by the creations and beauty that the wonderful blogging women I chose to follow actually produce.  Blogs are a great source of inspiration for many of us and countless projects have taken  form through the images, patterns and colours that are shared.
I also find inspiration in the items of old.  Whether is is embroidery, quilting crochet or painting.  Just before Christmas I made a beautiful discovery in my favourite vintage / antique shop.

The most fantastic patchwork, quilted and lined knitting bag!  Not only is this bag usable and believe me I am using it and showing it off without any hesitation, but is also thought provoking.  I wonder who made it, as it is definitely handmade, whether she gave it as a gift or used it as her own.  I wonder what else she made, was she a crochet queen or a knitter?  Where is she now?
I have decide I am going to have a go at replicating her pattern to create a new bag as a tribute to her beautiful bag.  My Dad who is a great carpenter has agreed to make wooden handles which are reinforced in the middle as so many of these handles appear to have a weakness.  Now I can't guarantee this bag will be made in weeks as I have more pressing but less fun commitments right now, that is I need to finish writing a   thesis by March.  But watch this space!  Good night all!

Felted Crochet Cushion Project!

Wow two posts in two days!  I warned you I had a lot to say!!  A while ago I briefly mentioned  that I am in the middle of writing a Masters Dissertation, well it has taken a long time to get to the point of writing it and by that I mean it's taken years and I am really not proud of this fact.  The trouble is, I can always find a project to do.  Some of them are long term like my hexie blanket which I hope to make huge strides with over Christmas.  Some projects capture my imagination and I just have to get it done.  Over the last couple of weeks I have been working on this felted crochet cushion.  I think it just about works, but I don't think I will be making another.

I simply crocheted two circles using Rowan big wool (100% wool), I crocheted them together and then boil washed them!  

As you can see it is little bunched up, I am hoping that a larger cushion may help a little with this, but I think there will always be some bunching.  I don't think I would use big wool if I did it again either, because it is very thick and quite rigid for a cushion, but it was a way of using up scraps. 

As I type, I have just noticed a whacked out border terrier, Maggie dog taking advantage of the fire I have just lit...

Good night all!  I hope you have all had restfull and rejuvinating weekends!

Thrifty, Multi Textured Crochet Blanket

I have recently begun a new chrochet project based on the wonderful Attic24's Hexagon pattern, joining the hexagons as I go.  Now as any crafty will know, projects can be expensive and with my new found Quilting hobby, the pennies are scarce.  Looking back at the traditional Quilts and Granny square blankets, expense was what was trying to be avoided.  Old dresses, sheets etc would be sewn into quilts and bits of left over thread were stiched into granny squares.  At the moment I am happy to spend a little extra on the quiltling whilst I am learning, but eventually I would like to start collecting and foraging for fabric that I can re-use. 

I am confident in using spare thread in my crochet, in fact I am even happy to use different textures, although I try and keep to all Double Knit or similar and I still try to keep to a blend of colours... ish.  I feel this adds another dimension to the blanket, kids love to explore differnet textures and actually so do I. It seems a more thrify way of crafting.  With this blanket I have chosen to use an acrylic pink to link all of the Hexagons, this cost £1.20 per 100g ball from my Market and so it's still affordable.

I would like to say I will be showing off the new blanket in just a few weeks, but the truth is that if I do manage to this, then I have seriously been neglecting the Masters Dissertation that I am also supposed to be writing.  Please complain in the comments if I do complete it quickly!!! LOL

By the way I would like to thank you all for the lovely comments I have received over the last week.  I am really enjoying this blogging malarky and your visits are so welcome!

Enjoy your week!

Jane X

Family Heirloom

Three weeks ago my Mum gave me this beautiful old Crocheted blanked.  It was made by my paternal Grandmother about a year before she died and the blanket is now about 36 years old. It was always about when I was growing up, but I didn't know it's history or who made it and I really didn't appreciate the fact that it was hand crocheted, quite like I I do now.  Mum gave it to me because I am the only crafting creative family member and she knew I would understand it's sentimental value more than anyone else.

I have always been told I am just like my Grandmother, in my interests, skills and personality.  Both of us being thrifty, busy bee's with lots of hobbies aswell as chatty and welcoming to anyone, whether they are well known or strangers. 

Sadly I never met my Grandmother, she died two and half years before I was born.  Making this blanket kept her busy through painful cancer treatment that unfortunately she didn't survive.  I am really pleased the blanket has been given to me and yes, I really do appreciate the sentimental value as I am sure other crafters will too.   There are small areas of damage to the blanket and one day I will pluck up the courage to repair them.  In fact I may even post pictures of the damage to get some advice ont he best way.