Granny's Flower Patch

I have been enjoying the peace and quiet around these parts this week since my Little People and the Big Man went back to school/work. It's been quite delicious to walk back into a warm, quiet house after enduring the school run (which this week has been bitingly cold, with 3 inches of snow today too). I am appreciating my own quiet time very much after the noise and chaos that always descends on this house during school holidays. I am still not well :: I am very much better than I was last week been but my head still hurts a lot of the time, so the peace and quiet has been very welcome the past few days.

Yesterday afternoon I sat and quietly worked away on my Flower Patch cushion cover. This little project has taken a surprising amount of work, and now it's finally finished I have to say I am really rather pleased with it.

I've shown you some glimpses of it during the past month (see here, here and here), and am really excited to be giving this project it's Ta-dah moment today.

I had been pondering this design in my mind for a while, ever since I caught sight of an image on Hen's blog where she had placed a flower in the centre of one of her squares. Now I knew there was bound to be a pattern somewhere for making flowery granny squares, but to be honest, I was looking for an easy, low-concentration project that I could do without having to use too many brain cells. I figured I could simply make easy-peasy basic squares and easy-peasy little flowers and stitch the two together. Nothing complicated :: an easy crochet ride. And funnily enough, since starting my flower patch squares, I discovered Julia was also doing it, inspired by a pattern on the Rosehip blog. So there you have it, flower patches seem to be the way to go.

It was odd making the squares in those colours, it really felt strange to be using such a limited colour pallette. Yet I could see it all in my mind, could visualise how the colours would work and I knew that once the flowers went on, it would undergo a total transformation. And I was right, look......

....I love the way these cool colours suddenly ping into life when the flowers bloom across them, it's quite magical.

These are the squares once they've been joined together, it's in it's "blocking" stage in the above photo. I was too impatient to block each square individually, but really needed to block out the finished thing as it was very wobbly once I'd finished the joining. Blocking really does alter the feel and appearance of crochet (especially granny squares), it's quite amazing what a difference it makes and is definitely worth the effort (see here).

I like to join Granny squares by crocheting them together rather than stitching them. I do it with the right sides together so that the ridge of chain stitches ends up on the back, as in above photo.

Incidentally, I've been asked a number of times if I'd do a tutorial for making granny squares, and for the joining method, so of course I'm happy to oblige just as soon as I feel a bit better in the head department. Its amazing how snot-in-the-head can make one feel so sort of disconnected. I do feel most odd at the moment.

 

Over the weekend I was still feeling quite poorly, and in fact spent much of it in my pyjamas on the sofa. I was not able to concentrate for long periods, but did manage some sporadic sewing-of-flowers when I felt able. We had the fire lit and it was very warm and cosy being able to sit and sew and be quite still for long periods.

Of course it may have been warm and cosy, but it most certainly was not peaceful in our house whilst I was carrying out my Still Ill stuff on the sofa. The Little People were playing games all around me  :: Polly Pockets (with pets) for LL and a remote control helicopter for LM. At times it was down right rowdy, but hey-ho, that's family life eh. Quiet please, Mummy is Still Ill. What? Be quiet?? But we have games to play, games that most definitely involve a  huge amount of shouting and leaping about!

 

I did eventually finish the sewing of the flowers in between Polly Pocket parties and Helicopter crashes, and Granny's Patch finally came into full bloom.

It became everything I had imagined. And I can't tell you how magical that is, to see something come out of my imagination and materialise into reality.

Do you remember when I made my last cushion, using an old cotton jumper to make the backing? Well I still had the other sleeve and the back of the jumper left so that I could make a matching back for the granny patch cushion. I constructed it in exactly the same way, and I really enjoyed using those buttons again. That tin, those colours :: so brimful of buttony goodness! So joyful!

And now, at last Ta-Dah!!!!!

Granny's Flower Patch cushion is finished.

There is now rather a lot of colourful crochet invading our living room. And it's a good job we have two sofas and a chair to contain it all in.

Yes, we do enjoy a daily hooky homespun colour fest in the Attic24 house :: I can't imagine this room being any other way.

Comments

[kathy]

Hi Lucy, Happy New Year to you and I do hope you are feeling better soon. Your cushion is absolutely gorgeous, adore the colours; what colours did you use? I have had my first crochet lesson and am making a very easy scarf. I am hoping to learn flowers, circles and granny squares too, fingers crossed! Kathyx

[Rachel]

Love,love,love the Cushion! Just thinkin,if you are running out of room on your sofa,how about making one in those lovely colours and turning it into a bag to go with your lovely Boden coat?

[kim]

I really like your new cushion. You continue to inspire me with new and amazing work.

[hen]

Oooh Lucy, it's yummy, scrumptious, delicious. You have kept us waiting a really long time for the grand reveal but as you have been poorly, well, I'll forgive you - just this once!
Anyway, it looks marvellous. So satisfying to see something finished - not that I would know as I never seem to finish anything!!! Right, I now have not one but three new mags to read; that's why the shopping bill in Sainsburys seeemed such a lot!
Get better soon.
Hen x

[MrsB]

arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! yumm-mmmy!! your blog is lovely! I wish you lived round the corner for mummy cups of tea!!

[Devon Hanna]

Oh Lucy, that is beautiful,,I love it and the colors are gorgeous...Great job..
Devon

[Sal]

Hi there Lucy...what a delight to read your blog today...it really cheered me up! I adore your crochet and can't wait to get mine out again . Happy New Year ;-)

[julia]

Yet another piece of scrumptious crochet gorgeousness from you Lucy, get the impression I like it?! You must put some of your crochet goodies into your etsy shop, they'll fly out of there!
Printing off your shell edging tutorial, I'm making a round cushion cover (or at least trying to) and it'll finish it off brilliantly.
Julia xx

[marianne]

I was beaten to it, but what the hell...Love love love your beautiful cushion! What a cheery start to the new year. You are a wonderful crocheter!

All good things to you for a splendid 2009 x

[Grifut]

wow, amazing result! I love it. :D

[simone]

It is beautiful Lucy. The flowers really do make it go ZING!!! May I ask what wool you used to make the cushion? I think the colours are lovely. Can I also ask, out of your crochet projects which one did you enjoy doing the most. I fancy having a go at a ripple blanket but think that a ripple scarf is more my limit.

[boo]

No one inspires me with crochet the way you do!! Congrats on your wonderful Granny Patch cushion!!! To die for!!

B xx

[fitty]

now Lucy you made me drooling with your cushion.. I love it! seriously beautiful!look at the colours! stunning!.. I got a friend making for me ripple blankie now.. hehehehe.. Great job!

[Cat]

That's delicious enough to eat!! Now, where did I put my crochet hook and beginners guide?!?!

[Jennifer]

I love your new pillow Lucy - So bright and cheery on your sofa. Its so happy! xoxo Jen

[LittleGem]

The cushion looks wonderful Lucy, I can't imagine how much work goes into your crochet projects as I don't know how to do it myself but would love to learn. Hope your feeling better x

[Katy]

that new cushion is quite possibly the most beautiful cushion I have ever seen!

[frances]

Bravo! The Granny Patch is a total success, in color, design, proportion, execution!

May your recuperation continue to full recovery. When we see what you manage with a houseful of big and little folks, and a head full of cold symptoms, well ... surely even more marvels are going to appear when you are back to 100% strength.

Best wishes. xo

[Julie]

Granny's Flower Patch is fantastic - what beautiful vibrant colours, and what a wonderful colourful home you have there - it looks so inviting and cosy and homely.

[karan]

Just wanted you to know that although i never comment i look forward to reading you blog every day. I do hope you can teach me to crochet. If you can it will be a miracle! Look forward to the tutorial. You create some wonderful colourful sights. Thanks
karan

[A Thrifty Mrs]

Gorgeous. Making me think about getting my crochet hooks out.

[Linda]

Lovely cushion. Looked longingly at your open fire. Freezing in the South of France!
Look forward to the tutorial, your squares are so neat.

[Alex Mason]

Love your blog, i jusr read it all, your crochet is gorgeous!! :)

[Bertie Meadows]

Hi Lucy, thankyou for adding me to your blogroll i'm touched. Your cushion is a color feast for the eyes, beautiful. I bet it makes you smile every time you walk in the room. You are a talented lady.
Bertie x.

[Joanne]

Oooh Lucy what a beautiful,gorgeous colourful creation, your a very talented lady. The sofa looks fantastic with all that colour.
I must confess that my latest project the redecoration of our kitchen has been a little inspired by yourself. I read your blog most days and just love the amount of colour you have in your life and thought I would give it a go.
I hope your feeling better soon, this flu thing really does take it out of you doesn't it.
Joanne. xx