Horse dreams

 

My summer project (one of them) was to make a horse to a girl. Only now I remembered add the picture on my blog! It's my own design and I used mostly left over materials. It is a hobby horse whose stick is an old ice hockey stick. It needed a bit fixing and painting.

This is a dream horse of a happy girl! The girl told what she wants. I draw the patterns and sew it. It was fun to do this as a summer project. So I guess I can say also this is my own design. :) I must tell you Reiska is a happy horse who gets a lot of love and attention.

Yarns and chocolate

Some years ago I inherit pile of yarns. Now the bottom of the box can finally be seen. This means I have started to plan to buy more. This box full of all kind of yarns has been super. Every time knitting or crocheting bug arrived to tease me I just needed to open the box and see what to do. I think arranging such a great storage of yarns would be wonderful. I do have a lot embroidery threads on storage but before I inherit someone elses's yarn collection I always had the problem I never had yarn to knit. So that's why it feels just reasonable to fill to box again with basic yarns.

I just hope it won't be like with the squirrels. You collect great storage of stuff and then forget where you put it! But on the other hand it is always a great surprise when you find some. Oh, I didn't know I had this.

See, my sister once forgot she had (like we all have) chocolate on storage. She had hidden it so well that she had lost it and forgot. Once she bought more and hide it to the same place. It was a happy surprise when she notice she already had it storaged for a bad day. So, of course she had now permit to eat the old ones. My advice is that if you remember where your chocolate storage is you can always pretend you don't! :)

Santa Claus factory

Today I received a letter from a friend. She wrote that she guesses I have almost all presents ready already. She knows me so well. What else can I say? Christmas arrives every year. I know it. I love it. And want to relax and enjoy about it. There's pictured only few gifts I have made. But I can tell you, none of them is for you. I updated only the gifts whose owners won't be reading my blog! :)

This bench cover is made of Norwegian Gjestal's Cortina soft 100% wool yarn. It is my own design. I sew woollen fabric lining to the other side to make it feel even more warmer and softer.

This pot holder is also made of Norwegian Gjestal's Cortina soft 100% wool yarn. The design is my own and I used loose end yarn. I crocheted it first and then washed in washing machine to get it felted up. When you felt something it always gets shrinken so it's important to make it big enough.

This pair of woollen sock I knit again from loose end threads of the same trade mark. The colours are Lapland themed. You get easily arctic themed colours by using just basic shades of white, red, green, yellow and blue. I used only white, red and green because I had only them and I didn't want to or need to buy more yarn to get these socks finished. If you look very carefully you can notice I used two shades of white: "natural white" and "blanc" and that seems to work fine.

When I knit socks or mittens I never have design on the paper to follow. It's always my own design in my head. If you use loose end threads, the ones that are left over from some other project, it is easy when you knit both sock at the same time.

So many months

There's so many months since I updated my blog for the last time. Unfortunately there's things you need to do to earn your living and always it can't be the craft. On the other hand the time you need to spend away from your desires more delicate it tastes when you can get back on to it. :)

In July I gave the 40th wedding anniversary gift to special people. Finally here's the picture of loved gift. It stands on the place of the honour in their living room. If you take a look at it very careful you notice it is not just converted by a designing programm. It took hours of work to pick up the shades. I didn't want it to look black and white as the original picture. They have big black and white photos on the walls from old times. I wanted the design look naturally old but I wanted it to differ from the original black and white photography. That's why I did also some other changes to the picture.

The frame is great and I was so happy to have it. That's because they have also almost similar framed very old colour picture on the wall.

 This is my own photo stitch design. I used a designing programm to convert the original picture behind 40 years. I did a lot of changes to get better outfit to this cross stitch project. I rejected almost all the shades the computer suggested. I did also many other changes. Coverting a picture to a cross stitch chart by a computer is easy but programms offer you also possibilities to make it better than the computer suggests. Computer has no brains so always its suggestions are not brilliant. It takes some time to do it all by hands but usually it's needable to do so to get best possible outlook. If I use converting programms in designing I use the computer's result just as a base on which I start to create.

St.Lucia (free chart)

I finally got a picture of finished St.Lucia chart. The one of my own designs that is also a free chart on this website. I plan to sew a new hot water bottle cover and want this picure of St.Lucia to warm it. But it's a summer and my intention to sew such a warmer is not working at the moment. :)

Arctic summer

You would not believe but I have start a knitting project for the comming winter. No, there's not any sings of comming winter yet and we are living on the best time of the summer. But still I picked up the knitting project so that I'll have enough time to finish it.

I popped in my favourite yarn shop and found excellent material from a  discount basket. It's SandnesGarn kitten Mohair yarn in apple green shade. (30% mohair, 20% wool, 50% courtelle.) Retail price was 4,95€/50g but it was on sale for 2,50€/50g. I could not say no. I bought every nine balls of it that was. I planned to knit a pullover for a horse girl but I ended up to knit a vest/sipover. I use two strands so it's going to be thicker and even more warmer. It's not going to have sleeves because it will be so thick so there will be more space for arms to move on under it all in winter clothing.

The vest won't need all of the yarn so we'll see what else I will knit from it. It depends on it how much will be left at the end.

At the frame maker

Yesterday I took the secrit projet to the frame maker. I was with somebody else who was allowed to decide the frame type (because he pays it ha ha ha). If we are very precise it is his gift so he must be allowed to influence on the outfit. The frame is going to be very massive but it fits well to some other old frames pictured on the walls this secrit projet will decorate. It was the most expencive frame work I have ever ordered but it was the only possible option at the end. Now we are just excited and worried because the frame maker was not sure has she enough that exact frame and if the manufacturer has more of it storaged. The manufacturer will make more only for the August and we need it finished before that. So, I hope the frame maker won't call me to ask what we will do...

Final stitches

My secrit project is comming to the end. There's still stitches to do but it begins to look almost finished. I ran out one shade so I need to order more of that. I have started to wait the moment I can carry this project to the framer. But, to be honest, my fingers are already hoping to start the next project which materials are already waiting. But I think I want to stitch some small project first...

I had also another bigger project going one since January. I was asked to design dresses for a ballet group. The dresses are made of organza, lace, tulle and satin. Hopefully I'll get the picture of it later on. The project included also doll dresses because dancers are carrying dolls. All the dresses are white but dancers wear pale pink tutus under it. Cute!

May Day celebration

This year I was asked to make ears for three cats. I was happy because the costumes were designed in the way that nothing is needed to buy and only ears need to be made. What a clever order. Or then they just told it all to make sure I was satisfied that only ears were needed as extra. Who knows. I designed the ears and how they will be fasten. Take a look.

They are very easy to make true. I used craft felt and stitched them in the way that after May Day celebration you can easily take the ears off but re-use again when ever wanted.

MadMoose

I finished the bookmark for a hunter's birthday. Take a look. It is my own cross stitch design. And now I am back into my very secrit project. :)

 It is a gift for a hunter who reads a lot.

Easy gift

Today I sew a small my own design gift for my cousin's birthday. It is my own design but anyone can do it. It was easy to do despite there's lining included. Costs are very low. I used left over materials and bought only the zipper that cost 1,20€. Even you would need to by the fabrics just 20cm is enough. It's white make up case.

The day before yesterday

I am happy! My order arrived on the day before yesterday. Since that I've been busy to sort it all out and stitch. I must tell the special fabrics were unbeliveable pretty and fascinating.

I have also been sorting out my fabric storage. I am making a fabric sample catalogue for myself for my own use. It's practical and easy to use when you design a project and wonder on which fabric type it would look perfect. When it's ready -well, a fabric sample catalogue can never be ready and finished- I will update a picture of it on my blog.

More Polar Bears

Again one new Polar Bear has got its shape on design. Shades have been picked up too. I must confess this time it is very sad one.

I am still waiting for my order to arrive. I know they posted it only a week ago but still it should be here already. I know they said it will take 2-4 weeks on the way but still, when ever they post it it should be in my mail box immediately! I can't wait to see all those shades! And if you need one good reason all the threads for the secrict project and MadMoose bookmark are used by now. I NEED MORE. It has nothing to do with it that I want to see all those shades and special fabrics I ordered! :)

Memories

I was going through my old craft pictures and found something from the year 2006. It's a picture of a project I finished for an old friend of mine. She had started only little bit of it and asked me to finish it. I stitched it on the summer 2006 and photographed the result before sending it back to her. She's already passed away so finding this photo warmes my heart. I didn't even remember I had photographed it. It is a pity I have not wrote down the designer or the name of the design. If anyone knows the name for this desig I'd be happy.

Colours of life with fast delivery

No loger than yesterday I ordered some new fabrics and threads from sewandso and already today I was told my order was already dispatched. I am more than satisfied! Pretty soon I'll see more colours of life to be stitched on a fabric.

I am excited to start 3 new projects to stitch. One is that little St.Lucia I designed for the last December. I also need to start stitch that bookmark for a hunter. It's all about MadMoose. The third project is a bit bigger but not huge like the secrit one I am stitching at the moment. The third project is part of my PolarBear collection. It is more fantacy like and pictures a swimming polar bear.

Decoupage

Last days have been filled with stitching my secret project. Now it begins to look like something so it's much more fun to work with it. Soon I must order more threads for it. But it's not so fun try to keep it all hidden!

Despite of stitching and normal daily things I have started to design a book mark gift for a hunter. It should be finished at early May. I have also been decorating a bit with decoupage. Decoupage is fun and cheap method to get some different look. You can use paper napkins, any paper pictures, fabric, decoupage paper etc. for it.

This is an old wooden drawer chest which I found from the side of a trash can in a city. All I did was a good wash and decoupage -it looks great now. It is not something you just made look like old and paid a lot of money. It really is old and seen a lot life despite the wood is in perfect fit. And I must tell you, no nails are used in this drawer chest, it really is old and well done. 

This is an old bullet box that has got new life after painting and decoupage. Instead of bullets this box storages now very important horse stuff. :)

Excitement

I have finally finished a cross stitch kit I got time ago. It is small but speacial so I have been saving the moment to finish it. I was afraid of I will loose the feeling of a beautiful gift. But now when it is finished I realized I still can ejoy about it a lot. See the Stitching site to find out the design of scissor keep.

It is called Victorian Strawberries. It is designed by Anne Orr for Textile Heritage Collection. I got the kit time ago but have stitched it slowly and enjoying of making something special for myself. The scissors that have honour to hold this keep are the ones I got as my first ever Mother's Day gift. So, it all includes a lot emotional value

PS. I have ordered some special fabric from aboard to make one special cross stitch design. It's again huge work that you can compaire to the polar bear I just made. We'll see when that will be finished.

It's finally here

I have an honour to tell you my own design polar bear has finally arrived. See it tamed and finished. It really was a huge job to do. I learnt I should not mess around with such a great animal.

Frost, snow and knitting

So has the year begun and the world is covered by the snow all over the Europe. Many people have been sitting and knitting with purpose to keep someone warm, stay warm or just to avoid the snow work outside. Around here there has been lack of the mittens so January and February have been up to knitting mittens -mostly. Take a look at Knitting site to see some of the result.

Both mittens are my own design. They're knitted from loose end yarn. I knit both (left & right hand) at the same time as the socks. If mittens themselves are not warm enough wear leather gloves under them or leather mittens over them. In that way also the wind stays away.

PS. Sales are at the shops so I must confess I have been at Xmas shopping already. :) All storaged well and hide even from myself. When November will arrive I have forgotten them by that.

Warm toes

The new year has begun. Snow covers the earth and hides the nature. Feet get cold easily. To make them stay warm over the night is easy -to knit woollen socks. If your skin is sensitive and wool doesn't feel nice against it, good way is to wear normal cotton socks and pull woollen socks over them. This can make your feet feel too warm, almost hot. But don't worry, you can knit socks without the toe tip part.These SleepingSocks are my own design and they warm up the toes even they don't cover them.