Crafting Away

The captured flowers are still holding my attention and I keep trying new types of flower to see what is possible. When I saw the daffs peeping their shy little heads up above the earth heralding the coming of spring, I couldn't resist seeing what I could do with a couple of them.


By removing a few of the petals and rearranging them and turning the trumpet to the side, it was possible to make a couple of passable greetings cards.

I made my first ATC (artist's trading card) recently and also made my first attempts at CQ (crazy quilting) simultaneously by making a fabric one. This was for a swap and the themes to choose from were Spring or Bling so I made Spring Bling.


I learned from this one, not to place beads too close to the edge as, when sewing the edge on the machine after completing the hand embroidery, you have to veer away from the beads when you come to the parts where they are too close.

I found some lovely little purplish blue flowers next to the daffs which someone said they thought were chinodoxia. Of course, I felt obliged to capture a couple of them.


I decided to incorporate these into my second CQ ATC.


With this one I learned that I should pay more attention to exactly where I am seaming as I wanted the flowers more centred.

I joined another swap which involved putting together an Easter themed package. I sent a felted bag with a pocket for two sewn bunnies, lots of chocolate goodies plus a miniature Easter cake and a nest full of candy eggs. There was also a recipe for decorated chocolate eggs along with the moulds to make them and some edible decorations for them plus a handmade card.






I especially enjoyed making the little bunnies.




I knitted another bookmark. This one is String of Hearts by Judy Gibson.


Inspired by the recent article on Knitting Daily which featured how to make checkerboard buttons with the Flashback Coat Dress in mind, I decided to make some. Knitting Daily have adapted their instructions from Nancy Nehrings book, 50 Heirloom Buttons to Make, a copy of which I have.

In my opinion, the adapted instructions will make a button that will not function very well. Firstly, they recommend to use cardboard for the button form which would not only make for a weak button but also it would make laundering the item they’ve been attached to impossible without removing the buttons first.

Secondly, they don’t emphasise the importance of weaving the thread to secure, other than the weaving that is done to make the pattern and also omit to mention that a self shank should be formed both of which would stop the wraps coming undone. I tried several times to make the buttons the way Knitting Daily describe and the wraps always came undone.

Doing them the way Nancy Nehring’s book describes, and using wooden forms available as toy parts from hobby shops, overcomes these problems. This is what I did and the resulting buttons are pictured below.


They are all done in Rowan 4ply cotton and I have quite a few other colours in this so I may end up with a rainbow of buttons.