Homemade Christmas Cards

This was another idea I found on Pinterest.

Make your child's footprints into robins!!

A Tutu For Miss Plum

I started taking Miss Plum to Baby Ballet last month. She enjoys it and adores the teacher (Miss Zoe). I think she is the oldest ballerina in the class (which ranges 18months-3 years) and as a result I think she get's a little bored that the other ballerinas can't keep up with her ... Antics!!

I saw a tutu tutorial on Pinterest so have made one for Miss Plum and one for her doll, Lily, of course!

I'm really pleased with how it has turned out! Not bad for an evening's work!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone. Isn't that a pip?

Truffles

Every year I make truffles ... but I think I am going to have to stop as this year I think I have scoffed more than I have actually made!

Here are my white choc and raspberry truffles ... (I made 10 last weekend - not sure where they (ahem!) disappeared to!)

And here are my chocolate orange truffles ...

You can find the recipe here

Vintage Pixie Hat For Baby Plum

Here is a bit of knitting to show you ...

A "Vintage Pixie Hat" from my "Vintage Knits for Modern Babies" book.

I started this hat back in October - but as with most of my projects - when it comes to sewing it together ... it ends up at the bottom of my pile!

I used some odd balls of Rowan Cashsoft Chunky yarn, which is sadly now discontinued and I don't have enough to make some matching mittens. I will have to have a hunt around for something similar. I lined the hat for extra cosiness. I think it looks very pretty.

The only problem is that the strap isn't long enough to get round Baby Plum's chin!! Ha Ha Ha ... will have to attach some ribbon, methinks.

I will post pictures of Baby Plum modelling the hat tomorrow!

Jumping On The Christmas Pudding Bandwagon!

Blogland has gone Christmas Pudding crazy!!

Crafty Helen has posted a tutorial to make lovely felt puds ... but I only had a little bit of brown felt left (and had decided to have a day at home after two days of dragging Baby Plum out and about!) ... so I have made these lovely little slightly padded tree decorations. I'm very pleased with how they have turned out and am about to hop over to The Felt Fairy to order some more felt!

Pompom Pixie Hat

Here is Baby Plum modelling the very cute Pompom Pixie Hat which I have made for my friend's baby ... doesn't she look cute!!

This hat was so quick 'n' easy to knit - I managed to knock it up in just over a week. I did make one little mistake and have sewn the strap on wrong - but I don't think it will matter!

The pattern is from The Knitted Nursery and I will be making a matching scarf to go with it!

The pattern suggested using ggh Big Easy yarn - but this was impossible to get hold of (even in London, shock!!) so I have used Rico Creative Cotton instead - it works a treat!

Scottie Dog Cushion

Today I made a cushion cover using the lovely Scottie Dog fabric I picked up in Worthing a couple of weeks ago.

We had friends over for afternoon tea and they ended up staying for a curry takeaway which was lovely (Mr Plum, who is not a fan of curry, had fish, chips & a battered sausage!)

I have had lots of texts from friends asking whether there is any baby news yet ... no, not yet!! Maybe the curry will kick start it?!

A Wedding Patchwork Quilt

Between 1995 and 1998 I went to the University of Wales in Lampeter. I loved the place from the first moment I got there. Lampeter is a small town in mid mid Wales ... there is no train station, very few buses, hardly any shops and 45 minutes to the nearest towns (Carmarthen to the south and Aberystwyth to the north). I met Mr Plum here!

In between studying and indie nights at the union bar, I was also a member of lots of different societies ... and met lots of very interesting people. I have lost touch with most of them - but with the advent of Facebook (I don't have my own profile but hijack Mr Plum's!) I have got back in touch with some of those I had lost touch with.

One of those friends is getting married next Beltane (a pagan handfasting on 1st May 2011) and started up a group on Facebook called the Wedding Patchwork Quilt. While she had been researching traditional wedding customs, she was drawn to the idea of a Wedding Quilt. Possibly originally an American idea from the time of the Pioneers, it involves a community of women coming together to create a patchwork quilt for the engaged couple. She really liked the idea of people getting together, sharing time, skills, stories, scraps and creating a beautiful object in the process. She invited us to join in with her own (almost virtual) community and be involved in her project to create a ‘Wedding Quilt’. As she still lives in Wales, I have made a patch for her and will be popping it in the post. I hope that she likes it!

One of the stipulations was that we design the patch with the couple in mind and that we enclose a description with the patch detailing why we have made it that way so that she will be able to remember who sent each square.

Here is a picture of the quilt so far (shamelessly pinched from Facebook!)

Here is the patch I have made ....

It didn't photograph very well, but I have depicted a hill which sits behind Lampeter and is called "Magic Mountain" by the students. Some said that it was called this because of a convergence of ley lines on the hill ... others said that it was because of the mushrooms which grew on it. I never went up the hill as I was too scared of being shot by the farmer. Mr Plum says that he went up there though! Unfortunately I don't have any digital pictures of Magic Mountain so can't show you what the hill actually looks like.

I hope that the happy couple will like it!

A day in Worthing and some lovely fabric!

Yesterday we escaped London and drove down to the coast ... rather than follow the hoards to Brighton - we thought we would go to Worthing instead!

We had a lovely couple of hours walking around, paddling in the (warm!) sea and had a picnic on the beach.

On the way back to the car we walked past a fantastic haberdashery ... I fell in love with this Scottie Dog fabric and had to treat myself to a meter. I found this picture of the fabric on notonthehighstreet.com where they are selling it for the extortionate price of £18 a meter ... ironically I found it on the High Street for £12 a meter!!

I don't know what I will make with it - I just couldn't walk away from it!

Lovely bunting from an old friend ...

I still consider my three best friends from school my best friends forever (does that sound a bit American?!).

We may not phone each other regularly ... busy jobs and other commitments means that we are only able to meet up every couple of months. But I know that they are there if I need them, and I am always there for them. When we do meet up, we regress back to the silly 14 years olds, in love with Keanu Reeves, stinking of Woolworths "Fuzzy Peach" body spray and clunking around in Doc Martens!

Today, after a particularly dull day at work (although, shouldn't moan ... must be glad that I still have a job - even though am now subject to a two year pay freeze...boo!) I got home to an unexpected package on my doorstep. After coming down for my birthday tea and cakes a couple of weekends ago, my very crafty friend had been inspired to make some bunting for our "nursery corner" (the delights of having a baby in a one bedroom flat!).

Isn't it lovely? The kind thought reduced me to tears ... I can't wait to put it up in our room!

Am seeing another one of my girlfriends tomorrow for afternoon tea at The Goring. I can't wait!

Essential Hats for Snowy Days

Here I am ... at home enjoying my first snow day ... watching tv shows and films which Mr Plum can't abide (Glee, Cranford Christmas Specials, An American In Paris) and finishing off a bit of knitting!

Here's my hat!

Isn't she lovely? (Apologies about the rubbish self portraits!!)

The pattern has a pom pom in a contrasting yarn - but I don't think I will bother with that ... maybe I will add a knitted flower instead? I'm not sure ...

This hat can be found in the lovely book by Kim Hargreaves "Thrown Together" and it suitable for a knitter with a little experience. The pattern was pretty simple and easy to follow ... I have managed to drop the odd stitch - but I don't think that it is too noticeable.

My next knitting project is going to be .... a (deep breath) cardigan! It will take me years, but I want to give it a go! I have chosen another pattern from Thrown Together ... have a look here and have my wool ready thanks to a work colleague who's girlfriend works in John Lewis and is happy to use her discount to fund my yarn habit!! It is such a pretty colour (Melody 173) ... just need to get practising my double moss stitch!!

Happy New Year!

Hello!

Happy New Year!

I hope that you have all enjoyed the festive season ... we had a very busy holiday split between Christmas with my in laws in the very snowy Lake District and a fab New Year with my parents!

We came back to London yesterday and have cleared away the Christmas decorations and are now getting ready to head back to work tomorrow .... but I thought I would quickly post and let you see some of the lovely books I got for Christmas this year!

I'm looking forward to making some delicious sweeties from the Hope and Greenwood recipe book (mmm mmmm), having a go at something vintage from the "A Stitch in Time" and making more Cath Kidston goodies!!

I found these lovely gift tags in a shop in Ambleside ... I just hope that I don't forget the I have them next Christmas!

Handmade Christmas GIfts ...

I didn't think that I would be able to post about this until after Christmas ... but, on Saturday night we exchanged Christmas gifts with my family ... and my brother's girlfriend opened up her pressies while we were there. When she opened up my gift she immediately put it on ... and loved it! The funny thing was ... she didn't realised that I had knitted it myself!! I am really pleased at how it turned out ... and it looked absolutely fabulous on her! This was my first full size piece of knitting .... am going to have a go at a cardigan for myself next. You can find a link to this pattern (and a whole host of lovely vintage inspired knits) here

Truffles!

I have made truffles for the past couple of Christmases ... they always make nice little pressies, I think. This year I have made white chocolate and chambourd and milk chocolate and amaretto. Delicious!

Are you watching .....

..... Kirstie's Homemade Christmas?

Exciting things arriving in the post ...

Following on from my "Christmas Inspiration" post earlier in the week ... my parcel of goodies arrived from Paper And String!

Ribbons and buttons to make my Christmas bunting - and now that I have finished my knitting (the Christmas present I have been going on about, but can't tell you any more details in case the person I am knitting it for is reading!) I can concentrate on making a few Christmas decs!

I couldn't resist the cute felt cup cake!

Christmas Inspiration

While flicking through a Bombay Duck catalogue this evening I spotted this fabulous Christmas bunting ... isn't it lovely?

I have to say that I fell in love with it ... so have had a look through my fabric stash, popped to the fab Paper and String to order some lovely buttons and ribbon, got out my copy of CK's Make so that I can trace her letters onto pieces of pretty coloured felt .... all I need now is a pair of pinking shears .... bunting-tastic!

I've got the day off tomorrow ... and I am very excited about it! What will I be doing on my day off? Knitting! I can't wait!

Sleepover Swap!

I have mentioned in various previous posts about the Sleepover Swap I have been doing. I was partnered up with Nicola from smilernpb - and I received her box of goodies today!! We decided to swap a bit ahead of the deadline set by Thrifty Mrs as Nicola is due to give birth to a little girl any day now! I really enjoyed putting together my box of bits to send to Nicola and I hope that she likes it too. I will blog about that once she has received it (I have only just popped my parcel in the post!).

Nicola has well and truly spoiled me! I am looking forward to getting rid of Mr Plum so that I can enjoy a lovely girls night in!

I think that Nicola may have been slightly frustrated by my vagueness! I like my blog to be anonymous and don't give too much away about myself .... so how did Nicola know that my favourite cakes are cherry bakewells and that I am ADDICTED to chocolate fingers??? YUM!!! Washed down with a lovely cup of herbal tea ... mmmm

in a lovely rosey mug .....

More goodies!! Bridget Jones DVD (excellent!), smelly candle, cosy socks and some pretty fabric to get crafting with ....

Pamper time! I must remember to put the face packs on my FACE and not eat them! ha ha ha Looking forward to using the lovely Body Shop bits too ....

Isn't this beautiful? My photo just doesn't do it any justice ... it is a lovely handmade cross-stitched mirror.

Thanks Nicola! I hope you enjoy the parcel I have sent to you!!

Knitting Success!

Isn't this gorgeous? I am so proud of myself! My first matinee jacket knitted for a friend's baby ... I hope that they like it (and it's handmade shabbiness!)

Swapping

Whilst browsing through lots of different crafty type blogs, I have often stumbled across "swaps". These can be homemade goods, recipes, buttons ... the list is endless! I have often been tempted to join in - but more often than not, I have missed the deadline or the swaps are "closed" ... 

Today I have joined two swaps! (This may have been a bit ambitious, but heh? I think I am harking back to my days as an avid penpal!) ....

My first is a "Yummy Recipe Swap" - I need to send

* 1 handmade decorated recipe card
* 1 handmade, sewn, felted, crocheted, or knitted food or handmade or any crafted kitchen item or 1 book , cookbook , fiction, non-fiction [related to theme] [Christmas]
* 1 ingredient from the recipe

My second is a "Christmas Swap" - for this one, I need to send

Either a handmade Christmas ornament or a handmade Christmas gift, a seasonal recipe and a little extra surprise

I'll let you know how I get on!