Christmas Crafts

Oh dear, I've been neglecting you again haven't I?
I'm sorry. I've been very terribly awful at managing my time lately. I really must buck up! Life has got a bit kerfuffely again and I am just not managing to keep up with all my grand schemes and dreams.
I think I'm pretty much up on top of things again now (at least I hope I am!) and so after I've marzipanned the cakes tomorrow, I think I might curl up on the sofa with a Christmas movie and try some of these festive crafts I found on Pinterest:

Pom-pom wreath from Wipkits Blog.

 

Upcycled icicles from Cut Out and Keep

 

 

 

Twig Trees from Stow and Tell U

 

What do you think of them? I think they all look quick, easy and super-cute ~ I can't wait to try them!

 

You can follow any or all of my boards on Pinterest here.

 

Thrifted Treasure

If you hadn't already realised, I ADORE vintage fabrics! I'm always keeping my eye out at carboot sales and charity shops for vintage curtains and bedding, either to use around the house, or if they're a bit tatty, to cut up and make into something new. But that's not the only way I add to my collection. Today I was given a big bagful of fabric that a friend's mum found in her grandmother's house when she was clearing it out. Check out these treasures!

There are two of these gorgeous alpine panels. They both have the odd hole, but with a little imaginative darning I think they will make wonderful wall hangings.

 

 

These curtains are just awesome. The lemon and grey is heavily faded and stained in places, but will make some pretty owls or cushion covers.

 

 

These two pairs of curtains seem to be in great shape. I'm hoping they will fit the windows in my new home.

This prancing pony print is fabulous, and I know just the person who will love them almost as much as I do ~ if I can bear to part with them that is! Check out the vintage curtain hooks still in the header tape!

And last but certainly not least, a knitted bride and her bridesmaids! I wonder if these were made as a wedding gift or keepsake?

How lucky am I?! I think I owe my friend's mum a big box of chocolates as a Thank You!

Let me tell you a secret



My yarn stash is waaaaay to big. Frankly, it's getting ridiculous. I have a big ali baba style laundry basket full of odds and bobs, as well as a large chest of drawers stuffed with packs of yarn, and bag upon bag of half-finished projects and experiments. And yet I still can't walk away from a bargain!

 

Today I'm going to share with you a super cheap way of buying yarn that I have used several times in the past ~ scarves on sale. Our local Primark often sells off fabulously chunky scarves for only a pound or two at the end of the season, and some of these things are huge! Today I bought two relatively soft chunky cowls, reduced from £5 each to £2.

 

 

I love variegated yarns, and was especially drawn by the short splashes of colour in this one. All you have to do is sit down with a cup of tea (and maybe a little box of chocs, why not!) and unpick the scarf, winding it into balls as you go. I was surprised to see this unwind into one variegated and one cream ball, but it's still perfect for what I have planned.

 

 

The cowls I bought yielded 180 grammes of yarn each, but Primark was selling off some lovely cobalt blue cowls, twice the size of these, for only £1 each! You could never buy such lovely soft yarn in the shops for that price.

 

So next time you're browsing the sales, have a think about what you could remake from some of the bargains.

Thrifted Glamor Cabinet

My local wool shop is having a refit next week, so I set off bright and early this morning to see what bargains could be had in their clear-out sale. I was expecting (and found) some lovely balls of wool, some beads, and a couple of gift sets, but without a doubt my best find was this awesome vintage button cabinet:

 

It needs a little tlc but has so much character and will be perfect for keeping all my craft supplies in one place.

 

It's even got adorable little rickety wheels!

I haven't decided yet if I want to sand it down and paint it, or stain it, or just take the stickers off the front and tidy it up a little.

What would you do?

Ships in the Night

I had a little operation last week ~ nothing major, but it's kept me on the sofa recuperating for a few days with barely even any energy to knit (cue shocked gasps!)

But at the foot of my sofa is a thrifted picture I adore, of a ship sailing a moonlit ocean. Here is a terrible photo of that picture:

 

I just love paintings and pictures of the night, especially when you add in the romance of a gentle ocean and a ship setting off on an adventure. There is something about moonlight on waves, about silver and midnight blue, and the lines and shadows and hints of things that would be laid bare and bereft of mystery during the day. There is a gentle hint of adventure, a thrill of horizons yet to be discovered when dawn warms the sky.

 

And so although I have been too weak and feeble to get up to anything of much interest, make anything fun, or even finish the tutorials I had planned, I did manage to browse some beautiful artwork on Etsy and put together this Treasury: 

You can see the whole treasury here, and I hope you will take a few minutes to do so ~ there are some very talented artists whose work would be better served by a more detailed view. And who knows, maybe one of these prints and pictures will capture your heart and send you off on an adventure of your very own, dreaming on a ship through the night . . .

A Right Old Hoot

I don't very often blog about the stuff I make, but I thought I would share some pictures of the latest additions to my Etsy shop ~ a Rainbow of Owls.

 

I adore vintage fabrics, especially these bold kitschy florals, and as I was lucky enough to find most of these in one fabulous carboot sale I figured they ought to all stay together somehow.

 

 

I already had blue and green owl cuddle cushions in my Etsy shop, but with such a great array of colours I realised I could make a whole Rainbow of owls to join them.

Here we have two complete owls watching as I finish off their brothers and sisters.

Posing for a family photo together in the sunshine.


The owls are all available in my Etsy shop. Feel free to contact me for combined postage offers.

(if any colours have sold since posting this, please contact me as I may be able to remake in the same fabric)

Thrifted Treasure

Just a quickie to share some vintage lovelies I found at a jumble sale recently:

You normally only find 3 or 4 vintage shot glasses that match, and I usually buy those to make into candles, but to find a complete set like this, still in the box, is rare indeed. I can't bring myself to turn these into candles, they're too perfect! They'd make an excellent Father's Day gift.

And look at these beauties:

Simply adorable!

The background fabric is also vintage ~ a pair of sheets I found (still in the packet!) a couple of years ago which I made into a duvet cover and pillowcases. 

Well that's enough treasure for now. I have an orangey-smelling day ahead ~ it's Marmalade time in the Cheery Chicken household!