Winter is on the way!

With winter on the way, I have been making kid's hats and pretty scarves for the ladies. These will be in sale at a Market at Dundee High School on 17 May 2014

Here are some samples of what I will be selling.

 

 Elephant Hat

 

 Girly pink with red flowers

 

 Scary Monster

 

 Sleepy owl

 

 Two tone scarf in bamboo yarn

 

Frilly scarf

 



Green bamboo with lurex

 



My new workroom

When we bought our house at the end of 2003, one of the bedrooms had the oddest décor. It was painted white, but all over the walls were circles of varying sizes in dark blue. Two of the circles were almost a metre across.

 

This was the only picture we took of this room at the time we viewed the house.

 

 

When we moved here in 2004, my husband decided that he wanted this room as his "office". He never really used it very much, and over the years it became a dumping ground for all sort of things.

At the end of last year, I decided to put this room to good use, so with help, it was repainted in an attractive 'milk coffee' colour, and I had a new beige carpet laid. Then I hung pictures, and moved my sewing machines and their desk from the spare bedroom into this room.

So now I have an attractive workroom, with a sewing desk and table, and lots of storage space for all my craft materials.

This is my sewing corner. There is a pinboard on the right which is handy for keeping track of projects.

 

 

 

The cupboard on the left keeps all my materials out of sight.

 

I hung a lot of pictures, as I hate bare walls!

 

 

Behind my work table are bookshelves where some of my books are stored.

The cupboard on the right holds most of my needlework books.

 

 

I have a pleasant view from my window.

 

I think I have made a great improvement!

Bags of Bags

I've been making bags: Shopping Bags and Handbags. Here are just a few.

This lined handbag has a handy pocket, closed with a magnetic button

 

 

 Trimmed with crochet, this lined brown bag is closed with a magnetic button

 

In a soft sage green, trimmed with crochet and lined with green to match the crochet, the bag is closed with a magnetic buton.

 

This blue bag, fully lined, has pockets on the lower front and back. It closed with a magnetic button'

Blue bag, trimmed with crochet, and lined with a blue and green striped fabric. It has a magnetic button closure.

 

Unlined shopping bag, trimmed with blue braid.

 



 

Shoulder bag in purple, lined with purple and white striped fabric. The tab closure fastens with a magnetic button.

 

All my bags are for sale, at varying prices. Interested? Email me at palmtrees@telkomsa.net



New Lampshade

I had this glass lampshade in my hall, and I really dislike it.

So I decided to buy a plain shade, and trim it. This is what I bought, for only R40

 

Being a crochet fanatic, I decided to make a crochet cover.

 

I used Vinnis Bamboo yarn in many colours.

What a great way to use up the odd balls!

This is the half-way stage

 

Finished at last, and fitted to the plain shade.

You can clearly see the beaded tassels that I put on the triangles that I worked around the bottom of the shade.

This picture more clearly shows the beaded tassels.

 

 

 In place at last!

 

How good it looks with the light on!

 

 

I'm really pleased with my new lampshade.

 

Christmas 2013

Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas. Here are a few pictures of my Christmas.

 I hang this on my door every Christmas. I bought it in Norway many years ago.

 

 This Christmas Crib came from Bavaria. It belonged to my late in-laws, and is very old (and just a little damaged!)

 

This is my other Christmas Crib, It comes from Peru, and was bought from an Oxfam shop. 

Our Christmas tree is all its glory.  At night the lights shine through the window, and can be seen from the street.

 Sushi the rescued Peke, wearing his Christmas ribbon.

 

 This is my friend Laverne, with her Weimaraner Lincoln, getting into the festive spirit.

 

 My Christmas table, set with a Christmas cloth that was a present from Norway. The crystal candle lantern was a gift over thirty years ago, and has survived three moves to different countries!

 My dinner table, with the tree in the background.

 

I use these lovely Coalport dinner plates on special occasions, such as Christmas. The lace-edged linen napkins are a charity shop find.

 

Fabric Handbags

I've not posted to my blog for quite some time, as I have been busy with markets.
The first was Talana Creations in late October/early November, and I did very well there.
I spent some time after that making crochet angels for the Christmas Tree at the Talana shop, as the ones I made for Creations all sold out.
Then I shared a table with my friend Marilyn at the Bon Appetit Café Market on 29 November. The day started out cold and drizzly, but warmed up in the afternoon, as did the sales. Luckily, we were in a marquee, so we didn't get wet.
Tomorrow were are again sharing a table at the Lennox Farmers' Market, and we are inside their barn.
As I bought a bargain bundle of furnishing remnants, I decided to make bags. Here they are:

 

This is a pretty green and beige striped fabric, lined with ecru cotton. The flap is trimmed with a beige pearl button. I bought the bamboo handle some time ago, and think it looks well on this bag.

 

 

This 'lion' bag is made in a beige fabric with ribs,, rather like corduroy, and is lined in ecru cotton. There is a flop-over tab to close the bag, weighted down with two huge beads.

 

 

I trimmed this bag with printed cotton ribbon. It is lined with cotton, and the tab is fastened with a magnetic button.

 

 

The last bag is in beige fabric has shiny bronze-coloured handles.  It is lined in Shweshwe. The flop-over tab has a large bead to weight it down.

These will all be in sale tomorrow, here's hoping it will be a good day for me!

No crafting, so I took a walk around the garden

I've not been crafting lately, probably because I wore myself out preparing for Creations at Talana! I have been having a clear out and a tidy up, though, and I also took a walk around my garden. This is what I found:

While rummaging in the garage some time ago, I found this old birdcage. I decided to put  a plant in it, and I decided on the lovely burgundy ivy geranium. It looks pretty good, I think.

 

I planted foxgloves last year, and now some are blooming again.

 

 

I bought an old wheelbarrow at an auction. A man said to me "You do know it's got holes in the bottom, don't you?" "Yes." I replied. "That's why I want it." So here it is, all planted up and blooming, That's Tyson in the background.

 

These dietes, the South African wild Iris, have blooms that last for only one day. I like them as I am fond of white flowers. It is said that when the dietes bloom, it is going to rain, So far this year they have been telling lies!

 

 

 

This jasmine is so rewarding. Every so often it is covered in beautiful star-shaped white flowers. They are scented, and they perfume the whole garden.

 

Now I moved indoors with my camera.

 

 

I love orchids, and have bought several from time to time. When they stop blooming, I put them in my dining room, and nurse them. This is the result! I now have three in full bloom.

 

 

Somehow I managed to cut the top off this one when I took the picture.

 

 

 

This is quite a small plant, but there are at least six flower stems coming from the main stem. It will probably stay in bloom for the next six weeks or so.