Bakercourt - Knitting, Sewing, Crafting.: April 2015

2015

Home Sweet Home, VeryBerry 2015 ATC Swap

Monday, April 27, 2015

I took part in this year's VeryBerry Artist Trading Card swap. The theme was "Home Sweet Home", and the idea is to hand-make a textile trading card to send to a swap partner. We had about a month to get it all made up and posted out - thank goodness.

Here's my card. I first sketched out what I wanted, and then appliqued each of the lovely fabric bits on to the fabric background before hand-stitching details with blanket stitch, running stitch, french knots and lazy daises. I think this is the same vision of "home" that I've been drawing since a child.

Ta da!

And then, the border. Many, many glass czech seed beads handstitched on with a blanket stitch around the edge of the card. I watched more than a few episodes of MasterChef while doing this.

My swap partner was the lovely Sally of Wonky Patchwork. I was very lucky because I think, from her blog, that we have very similar tastes!

And lo! My ATC arrived in the post this morning.

Isn't it fab? It's from Siân (ButtonsAndPaint) who said that the theme made her look forward to coming home and turning the key in the lock. How wonderful.

I'm looking forward to next year's swap already.

baby

Here comes the sun, and a big floppy baby sun hat

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Spring is here. The sun is shining, and we've been walking to the park every day for picnic lunches and playing on the grass. Isla loves the grass.

She has become very wiggly and mobile, and shuffles about even though she's not yet sitting up properly. Sweet girl. There's not a lot of stillness.

Every sunshiney baby need a big floppy sun hat, don't you think?

She has a sun hat, but it has a very modest one-inch brim that doesn't offer much coverage. I finished sewing this one up this morning, based on her existing hat with added panels so it should fit her a bit longer. I also extended the brim to five inches so it would provide cover for her neck and shoulders, and added interfacing to the brim for added floppiness.

The strap was a last-minute addition! We tried it on, and she was so delighted with the hat that she insisted on pulling it down and lifting it up... so in an attempt to keep the hat in place, I added a buttonhole to each side of the hat and threaded through an oversized ribbon that ties under her chin.

Baby approves.

baby

Kian's Sporty Play Mat ta da!

Sunday, April 05, 2015

An excellent friend of mine has the cutest little boy who is very nearly about to turn one. When he was born, I promised his mum a handmade gift of her choice - something special, I promised - and she asked me to make a sport-themed playmat. It has only taken me 8 months, but it's finally finished.

It took ages because... well. It's the theme, ya know. Sport.

I know nothing about sport. I occasionally watch Formula 1 when it is on TV, but only because Graeme has the TV remote. And I'm usually knitting/stitching/doing something else entirely.

Sport. Uh oh.

There's a football bit: Kian's daddy is a BIG Liverpool supporter.

There's a golf bit: daddy loves golf too. The water bit crinkles.

There's a basketball bit: we wanted to add a bit of colour and the ball squeaks!

And of course, there's a racing car bit. Because our daddy couldn't let a sport-themed playmat leave the house without an obligatory car section.

And they all come together in quite a cheery, fun quilted playmat that's so much bigger than I thought it was going to be.

All backed with one of my favourite kids' prints.

And best of all...

He loved it.

craft

Hoppity Happy Easter! Pom pom bunnies

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Happy Easter! We have happy hoppity bunnies, delivering lots of smiles and choccy eggs. Yum. Oh my ears and whiskers - look at those noses!

And even better, these quick pom pom bunnies are a great stash buster. 1 large pom pom + 1 medium pom pom = 1 very cute little bunny. If you have a pom pom maker, it takes about a minute to make the head and body, and tie them together. Done! Ta da!

The rest of the bunny is made up from bits and pieces I had in my scraps: feet and ears cut from wool felt, some little black beads for eyes and a pink bead for a nose, add invisible sewing thread whiskers... and everything is secured in place with a glue gun. Glue guns are amazing.