I had a lovely, unexpected surprise in the post today when I arrived home from work. A brown envelope was waiting for me which could have contained anything from a bill to some random advertising thing. However, it wasn’t anything as dull as that. It was a lovely treat… £25 of Hobbycraft vouchers!  Whoop Whoop!

The last time I was in my nearest store in Stockport it had had a facelift and they were having a draw to win gift vouchers to celebrate.  I duly filled in my details and forgot all about it.  You see, I never win anything!  I can’t say that any more can I!!

I’ve spent plenty money in Hobbycraft and other craft shops over the years so it’s great to get a bit of it back.  I think I may use my winnings to buy some lovely Amy Butler for Rowanyarn.  Last week I treated myself to 3 balls and haven’t decided what to do with them yet.  I might just pop back for some more and get enough to make myself a bag.  Yes, that sounds like a plan!

I’ve just completed my first ever commission!  How exciting!  So I decided to make a little step by step guide for you to share it!

I was recently persuaded to take my stock box into work to show the girls what I make.  They were very complimentary about my bits and pieces and bought quite a few things which was really lovely.  I do find it hard taking money from people I know but as they said I can’t just give things away and I don’t charge over the odds for them.  I really just cover the costs of materials and not much more.

Anyway, my friend at work was telling me that it was her neice’s first birthday was coming up when I was showing her the little embroidered pillows I’d made.  She said she would love one with her neice’s name and stars on it, so I set to work.   Here’s how I did it…

What you need:

• Felt – for main body plus different colours for decoration
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery thread – matching and contrasting shades
• Stuffing / wadding
• Buttons – 2
• Ribbon – 1.5 x width of cushion

What to do:

1.  Cut two pieces of felt to the finished size you want the cushion to be (this one was approx 15cm x 11cm)

2.  Cut a variety of stars in contrasting felt in different sizes

3.  Lightly mark the name / text on the front side of one piece of felt

4.  Using back stitch, embroider the letters in a contrasting colour (I separated the floss down to two threads) 

5.  Embroider one of the stars to the back of the cushion

6.  Place stars around the text until you are happy with the layout and colour placement

7.  Embroider the stars in place using a variety of stitches and colours of thread

8.  Join front to back with running stitch, adding ends of ribbon at top right and left corners between the two layers (don’t worry if ribbon isn’t very secure, you’ll fix that later)

9.  Fill with stuffing before joining final edge (you could add lavender at this stage too)

10.  Sew a little button to each corner where the ribbon is joined, making sure you go through all the layers including the ribbon.

11.  Hang up and enjoy!

I am delighted to report that my contribution to the Fox’s Lane pincushion swap is complete, wrapped up and going in the post tomorrow!

The big question is… who will the recipient be???

P.S. I’ll post pics of the contents when I know parcel has been received

Since last weeks craft fair is done and dusted – onto the next thing…  my contribution to the pincushion swap organised by Fox’s Lane!

I’ve racked my brain and rummaged around the Internet.  I’ve ransacked my stash and I’ve routed out the ideas.  I was torn between sewing or crocheting my pincushion and I even considered a make that included both. 

But in the end I settled for crochet to make a rather simple but, in my opinion, cute little pincushion.  What swung it for me is what the recipient does for a living as it is appropriate linked to that.  I’m not going to say any more that may give away who she is but when she receives it I hope that a) she knows what it is and b) she sees why I chose it for her.

The raw ingredients:

So what is it going to be…. a donut, that’s what.  I found the pattern on Ravelry and really enjoyed making it.  I was torn between making a donut or a slice of cherry pie and given that Caveman and I have been watching Twin Peaks (again) recently it was a hard decision to make.  I just had to remember that it wasn’t for me!

I used yarns from my stash so I can’t be sure what they are for definite but I think the cream shade is Patons Smoothie.

I took lots of pics as I went along so here are the stages of the recipe:

Hmmmmm donuts! 

Don’t you love the shiny pins as sprinkles.  I need to buy some more pins to send in the pincushion as these few are from my own pincushion for artistic purposes only at present, but it wouldn’t be complete without them!  I do hope the recipient likes it when the parcel pops through her letterbox along with a postcard of Manchester and a couple of other little treats to make her smile!

I promised you a picture of my new niece Erin if her mummy and daddy agreed to me posting it, and how could they resist showing her off. Here she is looking snug as a bug with her blanket made by auntie Fi and a bunny!

Remember way back early in January when I said I had lots of babies to make for…  well the babies are all here now and the makes are all completed! 

My friend had Jimmy last week and I can’t wait to see them to give them the blue blanket.  The day after Jimmy was born my lovely sister in law brought us Erin!  We were all so delighted, and in truth a bit surprised, to have another girl in the family as there had been some of expectation of a boy (I already have 2 nephews and a niece).   We all love the name Erin, which we didnt know was in the shortlist, and it is particualry appropriate as my sister in law is very proud of her Irish heritage and Erin means Ireland.  However, my nephew James won’t accept he’s got a new girl cousin and insists on calling her Tom!

I had been in Scotland all week waiting for her arrival and she came the day before I had to come back to Manchester - good timing as I was getting twitchy I may miss her altogether!

My sister in law really loved the blanket I’d made Erin and it has been much admired.  I do love that thrill when people complement my work!  It makes it worth all the hours of work that have gone into it.

We didn’t know Erin was going to be a girl so I erred on a neutral coloured and I am really pleased with the finished result.  I know my family look at this site and I wanted the blanket to be a surprise, so I am very excited about posting the pictures now.

A few days before Erin was born I had saw three magpies, TWICE!  I am not superstitious, but we all notice things like that don’t we?!   I was looking up the full words of the magpie rhyme and found a few versions, but I liked this Yorkshire one best (sorry, last line is a little cheeky):

One for Sorrow
Two for Joy
Three for a Girl
Four for a Boy
Five for Silver
Six for Gold
Seven for a tale never to be told
Eight you Live
Nine you Die
Ten you eat a bogey pie!

Anyway, if Erin’s Mummy and Daddy say it’s ok, I’ll post a pic of her snuggly wrapped up in her wavy crochet cuddly blanket!