Attic24

Crochet Fashion

 

Following on from my last post, it was really amusing reading all your comments about the 1970's crochet fashion. But awwww you did disappoint me with the Granny Square Bikini, I was so damn sure you would be begging me for the pattern, that it would become the new trend in Blogland ;o)

Maybe not eh.

It did get me thinking about crochet garments though, and how I'd love to make something wearable one day. But it's a risky business, making crochet clothing. I'm aware that there's a veeeeeeeery fine line between stylish and naff, between nasty and nice, and I'm not sure I'm quite subtle enough to sit on the right side of that fine line.

I mean, one could go so Horribly Wrong with Granny Square garments.

Could end up a hideously expensive mistake if one was not veeeeeeeeeeery careful indeed.

However.......I think if one got the colour palette right (think muted, vintagey tones rather than garish brights), then it could work. Could work out veeeeeeeery nicely indeed.

Have a look at these pages from the latest Country Living magazine :: a fantastic new fashion series which showcases real people and the everyday clothes they choose to wear. This month it's the turn of florist Liz Wallace. 

 

There she is look, doing a spot of recreational painting......AHHHAAAA!!!!!! Did you do what I did and zoom your beady eyes straight in to that picture of her and fixate on her amazingly gorgeous crochet cardie??? Did you??? Did it give you palpitations, make your heart skip a beat? Oh, that was just me then....

 

....when I first caught sight of this image I yelped out loud with joy, it was instant love-at-first-sight. Heart flutters and palpitations for sure.

Isn't it fabulous????

I desperately searched the magazine article for more information, and there it was in the small print  :: "Patchwork Crochet Cardigan, £360, Odd Molly"

So straight to the internet went I, searching out Odd Molly.

Odd Molly is a collection of very unique clothes and accessories, you can browse through their current Spring collection by clicking here.

There are a few crocheted garments, these two are my faves and are pictured on page 2 (click here to see, they're second row from bottom)

What do you think?? I think they're absolutely beautiful, inspiring, gorgeous, amazing.

Really really.

A huuuuuuuuuge step up from the bikini, poncho, tank top and hostess apron of yesterday.

Hmmmm....me thinks I might just HAVE to make some sort of hooky garment for myself at some point in my future. You know, when I've nothing better to do.

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♥ Four Things ♥

Four things making me heart-skippy happy today.......

Thing #1 :: from the market ::

:: I visited my lovely Plant Man at the market today looking for some seasonal flowers, and ended up being seduced by this gorgeous seasonal foliage ::

:: Thing #2 :: from Ikea ::

:: I visited the big Blue and Yellow warehouse on Monday night and came home with this gorgeously desirable and  delicious tray which I am totally In Love with::

:: Thing #4 :: from WHSmiths (the magazines, not the bun) ::

:: whilst in town this morning doing my rounds of the market/butcher/baker etc, I bobbed into the newsagents and treated myself to three scrummy magazines ready for the weekend ::

:: this first one is a one-off publication called "Get Creative" and at first glance looks really wonderful...it's published by BBC Good Homes magazine, and is all about creative ideas for the home. Divided into seasonal chapters, the Christmas chapter looks especially lovely and inspirational ::

:: this one is BBC Homes and Antiques (Jan issue, which also comes with a lovely free calendar this month, yeah, I know, another one to add to my stash). I spied Teena's gorgeously beautiful home shining out of those pages and can't wait to read more ::

:: Country Homes and Interiors (Jan issue) also looks wonderfully cosy and seasonal....I've only had a quick flick through these magazines this morning and I can't wait to indulge in some snuggly blanket+tea+cake+magazine time over the weekend ::

 

:: Thing #4 :: from Up Above ::

:: the colour of the sky today is an absolutely breathtaking shade of blue, and it has made me feel ridiculously smiley-happy ::

Happy Friday to you all, hope you find some heart-skippy-happy things to enjoy today!

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Overexcitability

I have to tell you I am suffering at the moment, reeeeaaaaaallly suffering. Yes, I have been struck down with a most severe case of Overexcitability and it is so bad that I am quite beside myself. I can't sleep properly, I am all over the place with the giddy-jitters and my mind is bursting with so much inspiration and so many creative possibilities presenting themselves to me at the moment.

Of course, this is not a new experience for me, no-no-no, it's all too familiar. I often suffer from this affliction, and it just today occurred to me that it could possibly be seasonal (see this post from this time last year? See how remarkably close the dates are?? Uncanny or what??)

So let us chat a little about the Root Cause of my current Overexcitable condition shall we? Well it's been brewing for a while you understand, but finally came to a head yesterday when I left the house at 9.30am, and drove myself across the hills to Harrogate to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show. It was quite a spontaneous and last minute decision to go, but I am so glad I made the effort. It was sooooo exciting! I only took one photograph at the show (the above amazing stitched vase of flowers), cos I was quite honestly too busy rushing around hither and thither working myself up into an Overexcited frenzy.

After a medicinal cappuccino and a danish pastry had been consumed, my first stop was my favourite button stand to replenish my stock of deliciously coloured plastic buttons.

I spent a lovely time here selecting from the colour themed pick-and-mix tubs, filling my little bags with same-size buttons, chatting to the other customers as we took turns making our selections, swapping places when necessary, admiring each others choices. It was a lot of fun, and I love-love-love my buttons.

Second stop was to be fabric. Now then....I had it in the back of my mind that I might possibly be able to buy some rather nice fabric at the show, but had not really entirely planned it you understand. The whole business of buying fabric and Building a Stash scares me a little, it always seems so frivolous and extravagant, and there is often a lot of associated Guilt involved.

But you see, I've had it in me to make a Patchwork Quilt for the Longest Time now, I really, really, really have desperately wanted to do it for years. You may remember me chatting to you about it earlier in the year, and showing you my modest stash back then. You may also remember my patchwork chair seat cover, and how I managed to end up with a whole stack of extra fabric squares now waiting patiently to be assembled into Quilt Formation.

 

So yesterday, with this quilt idea in the back of my mind, I ended up going a little bit crazy and went off on a bit of a spontaneous fabric-buying splurge. I visited four different fabric sellers and in a frenzy of Overexcitable buying I ended up with the above fat quarters. Sixteen in total, a mixture of Kaffe Fasset, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey and Anna-Maria Horner.

What do you think?? Aren't they LUSH????

Oh I have been fondling and smooching these little stacks of fabricky gorgeousness like you wouldn't believe, I am very much smitten.....

.....and once they were added to my other fabrics, I realised with complete joy that after many years I have now assembled the Perfect Stash to make a quilt with. And I am so excited.

SO VERY EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But deary-deary me folks, that is not all. That is not the end of my Overexcitability I'm afraid. No, there was one other thing that Got me yesterday :: my third stop at the show was the amazing "Decopatch" stand. I wish that I'd had the thought to take some photographs at this stand, it was completely brilliant, and hugely inspiring, I just could not resist it's colourful charms. Already buzzing from my button and fabric purchases, I kind of just went with the flow here and indulged my creative Overexcitability to the max.

So what is Decopatch?? Well it's basically a form of decoupage, where one uses specially dyed thin tissue papers with a special glossy glue, and proceeds to cover all manner of household objects.

The blurb describes it as the "exciting new 'paint without paint' papercraft technique. It's a funky addictive papercraft that's amazingly simple to use, a modern twist on the traditional decoupage.  All you need is the paper, the object that you're going to cover and the special glue varnish.  Simply cut or tear your paper into small pieces - we've found postage stamp or a bit bigger works well - paint a coat of the glue-varnish onto your object, stick the paper on and pop anopther coat on the top and hey presto, you're a decopatcher! And you'll find projects everywhere, you can cover practically anything: old furniture, glass, wood, stone, cardboard, the possibilities are endless!"

Ahhhhhh just LOOK at the papers I bought!!! Aren't they amazing?!

 

Can you just imagine me in a complete state of Overexcitement here, gathering these pretty papers together, jigging from foot to foot, almost hyperventilating with pleasure :o). Well yes, you know me well by now, I'm sure you can imagine it very well indeed.

 

So now I am about to become not only a Patchwork Quilter, but also a Decopatcher too. I bought these wooden LOVE letters as my starting project and plan on doing that tomorrow. I am hugely excited by it I have to tell you.

By the way, I've discovered today that there's lots of stuff on the www to do with this amazing craft...a couple of good sites/stockists I've found are here and here, should you find yourself as Overexcitable as me and be tempted to give it a go.

Well, after all that dizzy show-n-tell I really need to go have a cup of tea and try to calm myself down a bit now. Deep breaths, reeeeelax.

Have yourselves a lovely, creative, fun, inspiring, happy day my lovelies.....

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Granny Chic Fabulousness

 

Today is turning out to be a very long day indeed, being that it started at three o'clock in the morning for me and Bump24. Yes, you read that right :: Three-Ay-Em. That's pretty much the time we wake up together most nights/mornings, with me fidgeting and trying to get comfy with my elaborate pillow arrangement, and Bump24 partaking in some corresponding vigorous fidgeting/wriggling of his/her own.

Sometimes I manage to eventually get back to sleep, sometimes I am simply too wide awake for sleep to happen. So on the too-wide-awake occasions I quietly get myself up, tiptoe downstairs in the darkness and set about occupying myself for a while. I've come to enjoy these quiet moments of the night/morning when everyone else is tucked up in bed sleeping. I enjoy sitting in the quiet of the lamplight with a steaming hot mug of tea and a plate of toast to hand, alternating my time between my laptop and my crochet bag.  

I'm finding the delights of Flickr are extra-especially delightful at 3am. So many inspiring images to be enjoyed, so many things to make one oooooh and aaaaah and lose oneself in a flurry of excited creative thoughts, dreams and ideas. Yes, Flickr has become a real friend to me during my early morning too-wide-awake occasions.

So let me tell you where I ended up this morning.....

I found my way into an amazing Flickr group called Granny Chic. There's a strong vintage vibe over at Granny Chic which I am still getting used to, but beginning to warm to the more I see of it. The overall look and feel of this style is more subtle than my own, the colours more earthy, yet I find myself irresistibly drawn to it.

You just HAVE to go and take a look at this group to see what I mean, it's absolutely fabulous. It's overseen by the enormously talented Emma Lamb who's crochet work and blog are new to me :: I like her style very much.

But what really caught my eye this morning and sent my heart a-fluttering were the above images. Oh-my-goodness, didn't I just fall head over heels in L:O:V:E with these granny-stars??!! Bowled over I was. Smitten.

This is the work of Michelle who I've now discovered writes a lovely blog called "The Royal Sisters" . And further more, this lovely lady has written a tutorial for the making of these stars :: oh Happy Days!!! She's called them Grandma Twinkle Stars (awwww love-love-love that!), and you can find the tutorial here, as well as via a link in the sidebar of her blog.

So...............guess what I was doing at four-ay-em this morning? And onwards through five-ay-em and six-ay-em??

Of course.

What else could I do?

Out came my bag of Rowan Handknit cotton and I began star-making.

The pattern is very simple, yet sooooo fabulously effective. Michelle made her stars in single colours, but me being Me decided to put a typical Attic24 spin on my stars and used three different colours for the three rounds. Why only have one when you can play with three??

Oh I did have fun with these stars! Eventually I had to stop when J and the Little People began to surface, but that was OK cos I knew I'd be able to pick back up a little later on when it was knit and natter morning at the cafe. And pick back up I did :: over a couple of revitalising frothy cappuccino's and a lot of nattering, I busied myself with essential star-making.

Then back home this afternoon with a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit, and I had a little time to play.....

I stacked them.

I spread them.

I lined them up and admired them.

I danced from foot to foot with a jiggety-jig and got quite over excited about them. Really, seriously Over Excited I tell you.

I've made nine so far today, but I need to make more. Many more.

Yes I see many, many more Granny Twinkle Stars in my immediate future.

I see them strung into pretty garlands and draped hither and thither, bringing a little bit of Granny Chic Fabulousness into the house.

Some colourful, starry, frivolous, Fabulousness.

Bring it on.

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Comfort Food

Helloooooo!!!!

I bought some amazing greetings cards recently and thought you would love to see them....

 

.....Fabulous or what????

This is the work of Kate Jenkins, who works under the business name of "Cardigan".

You can see a whole gallery of her quirky, innovative crochet work on her website here, and also more here.

I love her work very much, but oooooooooooeeeee at how much one would have to pay to own a bit of Kate's crocheted Comfort Food???!!

Tis eye wateringly expensive.

Think I'll stick with the printed paper version.

I'm writing a super-whizzy post today folks as I'm still busy doing bathroomy things and getting oh-so-excited about it!!!

Been busying myself with sky blue painted things, stripy fabric things (with matching pompoms) and crocheted bunting things :: such fun!!

Lovin' it today, love-love-lovin' it. Ooooo I am just all smoochy and In LOVE with my bathroom, it's so very nearly FINISHED (in Capital Letters no less), can't wait to show you......

Life is sometimes just one huge buzz of mega-creative excitement, don't you find??!!

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Autumnal Inspiration

Hello....I'm afraid I'm feeling a little muddled today and although I have many things I'd like to say to you all (including a big thank you for your response to my Wrist-Warmers !!!!), the words just won't seem to come out properly.

I've tried, honestly I have! I've sat here at the pc for what seems like an age and tried hard to formulate my thoughts into something coherent, but it's just not been happening.

I've drunk coffee and baked white chocolate and cranberry cookies (and ooooo-eeeee they are goooooood!). I've faffed and mooched and pondered and muddled my way through the morning, but nothing is happening right. Just one of Those Days I guess.

So instead of wittering at you in a rather muddled fashion, I thought I might simply show you some inspiring pictures that I took a few weeks ago.

Pages from last months Country Living magazine (UK October issue) which quite honestly make me hyperventilate with pleasure.

Don't you find these images so heart-achingly Beeeeeaaaaauuuuutiful????

Exceeeedingly, totally, Inspiringly Autumnal???

I love them, truly I do, love the whole heap load of feelings they stir up. Love that they make me LOve Autumn.

And thats coming from me...someone who outwardly mourns when the Spring/Summer issue magazines come to an end, and inwardly groans at the thought of the Autumn/Winter ones taking over.

Yet this year, I am surprising myself by LOvIng the whole style of the Autumn magazines (with the exception of some persistent Brown-ness), and feeling inspired by it.

I'm seeing some purchasing of colourful squashes and pretty cyclamen in my immediate future. The creation of an Autumnal table display. Possibly I might go forth into the great outdoors and gather some pretty Autumn foliage too, fashion myself a twiggy wreath and the such like.

Yes, I feel there's much to look forward to this season, much to be Inspired by.

However, this afternoon I'm going to proceed to drink tea, munch a cookie and crochet a Granny Square or two in celebration of Autumnal Cosiness.

The seasonal gathering, fashioning and displaying can wait till tomorrow.

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Wrist Warmers

I'm not what you would call a Clothes Person, and very very rarely consider buying new clothes. Most of what I plod about in these days is second hand/thrifted/old. I get soo narked at how much Nice Clothes cost and generally feel that my modest disposable income can be put to better use. And I am just not particularly bothered by what I look like I guess, never have been.

However, that's not to say I don't like to look at other pretty people wearing Nice Clothes, because I do really enjoy browsing Nice Clothing catalogues. In particular, I'm talking about the beautifully styled and photographed booklets provided by the likes of Boden, Toast and Joules. The latest Autumn/Winter clothing catalogues that've been plopping through my letter box this past month have provided me with a great deal of inspiration, and (I confess) something of The Wanties.

One of the things which immediately caught my eye and made me drool with desire are these Wrist Warmers.....these images are all from the Joules catalogue and OH I do love-love-love-LoVE these little knitted-stripy-wristy-mitteny garments!!!

Yes!!!

Me WANtiE!!!

Yes!!! 

Oh!!!!

Yes-YES!!!!

Me WANtiE some of those!!!!!

These Joules Wrist Warmers are charmingly called "Chocatoodles" and when I found that out it made me want them even more than before.

I think they are maaaarvelous.

But they cost £15.

And besides, I had this idea that I could perhaps have a weeny little go at making my own.

Crocheted of course.

So with my stash of beautifully soft Baby Cashmerino in-the-bag, last weekend I gave the idea a whirl.

And do you know what??

They turned out just great!

Yes!!! 

Oh!!!!

Me LIKE-iE!!!!!

They were very, very simple to make. I chose to crochet in htr (half treble) stitch, working two rows of each colour. SImple rectangles, thats all, folded in half and stitched down the length.

Easy-peasy.

The hole for the thumb is created when you stitch up the side seam, as all you do is leave  a gap. Couldn't be easier. I then chose to edge the thumb-hole with a row of single crochet.

Oh, and I added a very neat little scallopy border to the top and bottom edges too, just to give them a certain Finish.

 

I'm now about to begin production in smaller sizes to warm the wrists of the Little People who astonishingly adored these particular creations and are begging for me to make them some of their own (eh-hem, I do have to contemplate buying black yarn to make red-and-black striped ones for Little man, Dennis-The-Menace style. But I think I can cope with that just this once).

So I feel extra proud of these wrist warmers as they have the LP Seal Of Approval.

And thats worth a lot.

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Edited to add :: awwwww thanks SO MUCH for all your lovely comments :o)!!!!

A couple things if you are planning on giving this a go for yourself....

As a rough guide...I used a 3.5mm hook (the Baby Cashmerino is somewhere between DK weight and 4ply), and made a foundation chain of 35 stitches to start. Don't make your own starting chain too loose for your own arm/wrist (I thought mine was a bit on the tight side at first, but as I worked the rows, it loosened up nicely :: nothing worse than baggy-saggy mitts!!)

I've also written out my edging pattern for you...I've called it Bobble-shell edging, and you can find it in my sidebar listed as a page, or click here. Hope this is helpful.

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Thrifty Chic

Heeeheeee!!!!! I am smiling and laughing to myself here, pootling about in my own little world today, thinking my own little thoughts, dreaming my own little dreams, planning little projects, gathering ideas, images, inspirations and generally being sort of quietly, mentally, hugely creative, do you know? Lots going on with me inwardly right now, so very, very much I wish to do, create, achieve, make happen, I am bursting at the seams with it all. Its exciting beyond words sometimes, living life in such a creative, colourful way as I do, and with a mind and imagination as ditzy as mine.

Last night, do you know what my dreams were filled with?

Can you guess?

Patchwork!! Lots and lots and lots of colourful, crazy, wacky patchwork!! hahaha yes, sadly it's true...my mind has turned into a big, messy piece of Patchwork.

Ahhh I was SO hyped writing yesterday's post, so hugely pleased to show you my Chair, and I thank you enormously for sharing in my enthusiasm over it. Your comments mean so much to me, most especially as my family, as lovely as they are, just do not get it. J has not really commented on the Chair :: I think he said something along the lines of "hmmmm very good", in an absent minded sort of way like you talk to a keepy-on, pestery child when you are trying to concentrate on something else and they are interrupting you with nonsense.

But somehow, the Chair has turned out to be hugely important for me personally. For one thing it has started me out on the Patchwork Highway (even in my dreams!) and I can't tell you how excited I am about that, don't know why it's taken me so long to be honest. And for another thing, it has kind of opened my mind to the whole delicious concept of breathing life into old abandoned objects, of Re-purposing, Recycling, Revamping, Restoring, whatever you like to call it. Of course this is not a new concept by any means, but in the present climate, this style sure is having a huge revival, and I for one think its Fantastic.

 

You know I am a Magazine-o-holic, right? Yeah, week after week, page after page, magazines continue to inspire me enormously. This mag I'm sharing with you today is BBC Good Homes (June issue) :: not one of my Must-haves but one that I always flick through and will buy if anything grabs my attention. And being as the words Thrifty chic were on the front cover in bright magenta letters, it caught my eye right away.

I just LOVE that phrase *Thrifty Chic* it really tickles me! 

This magazine spread is actually a decorating article and is all about livening up rooms by making and transforming things on the cheap. I find the overall style is a bit full-on, but there are some lovely ideas in amongst it all. By the way, you can click on any image on my blog and it should pop up larger and in a separate window so you can see it better.

 

I really, really like the above image, that slightly battered but oh-so-gorgeous turquoise shelf is right up my street. The idea here is to cover old boxes with gift wrap or fabric remnants to make pretty storage :: oooooooo I SO want to do that! In my cellar, accompanying my stash of empty Bonne Mamman jam jars, I have a collection of empty cardboard shoe boxes. Yes, tis true. I am a Grade A hoarder, no doubt about it.

 

The ideas on the above page are to do with revamping old furniture with bright paint and wallpaper samples (YEs, i can do that!), making slip covers for dining chairs (yes yes!) and sticking bobble trim along the bottom of a plain blind (why of course, a bobble trim makeover, how fabulous!)

 

And the above page is my favourite of the lot. ahhhhhhh yes, I am really all of a flutter now, because all on the same page there is a stripy tea towel, patchwork seat covers and those melamine tumblers which I love!! All of my favourite things! In fact I love the idea of using giftwrap to stick up behind shelves or on cupboard doors. In fact, I think I might have found a new avenue of Retail Therapy to join my paper napkin and tea towel buying addiction :: Giftwrap! Yes yes yes!!!!

 

The magazine also came with a little booklet called "Make it Yourself!" with an assortment of projects to make and do.

 

I love the painted chest of drawers...

 

...and the repurposed old enamel containers used as plant pots.

Yes, I think I could really get into Thrifty Chic style.

It really appeals to me.

I think I might need to buy this book too, you know, just to be really sure.

Then me and Chair can cosy up together, browse the pages and dream and plan and get inspired.

Have a great weekend one and all, hope it's an inspiring and dreamy one!

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Patchwork Stuff

Hello...ahhhhh glad it's Friday, are you? The weather here today is absolutely dire and the forecast for the weekend in my little patch is for continuing Heavy Rain, which to be perfectly honest, would suit me just fine. I'm envisaging some luxurious hours spent pyjama-clad and fluffy-socked, in front of the fire with Country Living magazine to the left, my crochet bag to the right, cushions and blankets to the back and tea and cake somewhere reachable in front. Yeah, that sounds mighty fine to me. I shall surround myself on all four sides with cosy, homey things. Bring it on.

Today though, I thought we might take a little diversion from the weather, and from yarn and crochet and talk fabric instead? More specifically, the business of cutting pieces of beautiful fabric into neat little squares and then attempting to stitch them together with precise, straight, unwobbly lines?

Ahhhh yes I've been busy in the Attic these past few days! Busy doing fabricky, cutty stuff! As you know, I had this idea for my Lloyd Loom chair that I would make a patchwork seat cover for it. Now despite being absolutely Passionate about Patchwork, and despite owning this wonderful book for the best part of ten years, I have never actually attempted to make Patchwork. Never. Well thats to say that when I was a weeny scrap of a girl I did have a go at making hexagonal patchwork, the old fashioned English sort where you hand stitch all the fabric pieces onto little paper templates, you know? But never tried my hand at grown-up sewing machine type patchwork before. Even though it greatly appeals to me and I adore the whole idea of it.

I think that has partly been down to the absence of a Stash. And anyone knows that you need a half decent stash in order to make a half decent stab at Patchwork.

But over recent months, a little itty-bitty stash has been accumulating in the Attic...see those yummy scrumptious fabrics up there, don't they make your heart flutter just a little?? Well that'll be the extent of my stash, and I am very, very fond of it. Its very strokable, very inspiring. Its a mixture of Kaffee Fassett fabrics, European fabrics, and some generously gifted fabrics. I think there are only twenty five fabrics in total there, so extremely limited really in the giddy world of stash-building. But they are mine-mine-mine and I love each and every one of them.

And oh! What fun!!!! To spend an afternoon ironing and gliding my rotary cutter up and down my magical transparent Omnigrid ruler (bought a while ago and never been used before) was just delightful! Delightful. I chatted away to the fabric, enjoyed playing with it enormously.

Want to see what happened?

Want to see what I built?

Ok, look..........

.......I built a fantabulous pile of neatly cut, perfect little 4-inch squares!

A whole stack of them look!!!!

Oh my, well let me explain...what I did was to make a calico template for the chair seat I'm covering, and from the size of that I reackoned on needing 25 patchwork squares to fit it. So any noodle can work out that if you have twenty five fabrics and need twenty five squares, then that's only one square needed from each fabric, right? But where's the fun in cutting just one lonely square??? Nah, much better to cut big strips of fabric, then slice the strips into squares, two at a time! yeah, that rotary cutter was made for cutting strips, it didn't like doing single squares at all!

So anyhow, the upshot is that I think I am about to embark on my first ever patchwork quilt!!!!!! Ooooooooooooo how very totally, utterly exciting! Cos even after I put aside my 25 squares for the seat cover, I think I must still have around a hundred squares left over (yes I really did cut that many, I lost the ability to let go of the rotary cutter).

Anyhow, I will most definitely keep you posted on progression with that.

 

I think the whole Patchwork thing must be really In Fashion at the moment as I've noticed it in several magazines recently. The above image is from the May issue of Homes & Antiques, its the London home of Kate McShane. See that chair, isn't it amazing?? I love love love it. 

And these pages are from the May issue of Elle Decoration.....see the round crocheted cusions on the sofa??

Turn the page and there's a beautiful paper patchworked book shelf, and more of that amazing patchwork furniture too....take a closer look........

How fabulous are those?? Ooo makes me want to smooch that furniture and cover it in kisses, I adore it!!!! You may recognise it as the work of London based Squint Limited.

Want to see some more of their stuff??

(photo above borrowed from the Squint website)

That's the Chesterfield Sofa...

   

(photos above borrowed from the Squint website)

...and above are stools and chairs that've been given the Squint makeover.

I find this whole idea totally inspiring, fun, creative, imaginative, energetic and heart-skippy. It really inspires me to use fabrics and pattern more around the house, although not sure what husband would say.

Whilst we're still talking Patchwork Inspiration, I came across a fabulous blog yesterday with a beautiful Patchy Post to drool over......ah I do like a good browse in Blogland for inspiration, it always comes up trumps.

Well my friends...just before I log off and return to stitching myself into a squared-up Patchwork Frenzy, can i just say a huge thank you to all your responses to yesterdays post. I've been working my way though all your links and have thoroughly enjoyed my Global Hooky tour, it's been quite wonderful. If you haven't already added your crochet link to the post, then please do, I'd love to come and pay you a visit and see what you've been up to. I will also consider making a Flickr group, if you think that'd be cool??

Enjoy your weekend, whatever the weather, make sure you have yourself some fun....

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Love-love-loving Today

:: still love-love-loving the anemones, one week on ::

:: love-love-loving their amazing full-flowered natural beauty ::

: :love-love-loving the third "batch" of narcissi flowering in the crochet jacketed jars (mentioned this week on Craftzine blog too)  ::

:: love-love-loving wearing a stripy top whilst crocheting stripy goodness in a sunny spot ::

:: love-love-loving the sofa after the Little People have been playing leaping/jumping games this morning. Piling up cushions and blankets to soften their landing, it made me smile ::

:: love-love-loving the crocus beginning to open in today's sunshine ::

:: love-love-loving coming home from the supermarket with three more gorgeous 59-pence Primulas ::

:: love-love-loving getting them out of their plastic pots and into these old terracotta ones ::

:: love-love-loving them at the top of my front steps, sitting in the sunshine by my front door. Hope that Naughty Barbie will not kick these over ::

:: love-love-loving being inspired by the free Tesco magazine, ripping the pages apart (how amazingly satisfying is it to RIP paper??!) and making a seasonal inspiration collage ::

:: love-love-loving the look of this recipe, also from the Tesco magazine. That's the Weekend Cake sorted then ::

:: love-love-loving this recipe for a weekend drink....guess what's going to be in my shopping basket later? Guess who might end up a little bit sozzled? ::

Hope you are love-love-loving your today too....
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