Cosy knitted slippers

I'd like to first say that although I have knitted a few things in the past they have all been some form of square or rectangle in the most basic stitch. Knitting patterns have always been completely beyond me with all their abbreviations and complicated instructions, it's like a completely different language that I definitely do not speak! However, I saw this slipper pattern and knew it was time to get over my fear. I was assured that it was a super simple pattern that I would have no trouble with however I was still sceptical.

 

 

 

But as you can see I proved myself wrong! Line one of the pattern was simple, but I came unstuck already on line two with 'Knit into front and back of stitch' what is that? Luckily Google came to my aid and I found a great photo tutorial which made it simple as can be! They took only a couple of hours each over a weekend and I love them. Although they fitted perfectly they felt like they were about to fall off at all times so I stitched in the ribbon which sorted that problem and looked lovely to boot! :) I'm now feeling inspired by my success to try another (easy peasy) knitting pattern! :)

Munchkin pumpkin!

 

I love Autumn and I although I'm not mad keen on Halloween I am as crazy as the next person/pinterest user for all things pumpkin. last year I struggled to find a decent culinary pumpkin but this year they seem to be everywhere. I've definitely had  more than my fair share of pumpkin bread/pumpkin soup/pumpkin pie/pumpkin everything!

 

I had a pumpkin on the ledge between my kitchen and lounge for about a week and was sad when I finally cut it, I particularly like the colour combination between this beautiful orchid, it's brightly coloured pot and my beloved pumpkin, I'm not usually into bright clashing colours so it was quite a surprise to me that I was so taken by it. So next time I went shopping I found this gorgeous miniature 'munchkin pumpkin' which is now sitting, purely decorative on the ledge, a lovely little bit of Autumnal décor :)

This weekend...

...I will be staying inside out of the gale force winds and working on this.

 

 

 

I have coveted one of Alicia Paulson's embroidered Christmas ornament kits since she first started making them and this year I treated myself. After an agonising wait whilst it made it's way through customs it arrived this week! :) I couldn't wait to get started. I first made the Polar bear, though I haven't yet knitted his scarf poor thing! Now I'm working on the cross stitch design for the Selbu mitten, I don't do a lot of hand embroidery these days and I'm really enjoying doing something that I can snuggle up on the sofa and slowly work away at. I generally like things to be done instantly, I'm quite impatient like that so I think it's good for me to work on something that takes a bit of time and patience.

I think you can still buy these kits here, they're all so lovely I may have to buy one or two more! :)

Canadian adventures

We went on a Canadian adventure. Toronto, Niagara, Algonquin National Park, Montreal, & Quebec City (and a brief stopover in beautiful Iceland on the way home!)

It was the most amazing trip; blue skies and beautiful Autumn leaves, towering glittering skyscrapers, endless lakes and forests, exciting road trips, wonderful old architecture, far too much delicious food and yes, a marriage proposal!! :)

I definitely have the travelling bug again, there's nothing quite like waking up early to explore a new city or long, leisurely train rides to sit and watch the incredible scenery roll past. We absolutely fell in love with Canada, and will definitely be travelling that way again some day for more adventures.

Pink and white dress re-make

So I was a little bored yesterday evening and here's what happens!

 

 

I've had this dated 80s wedding dress for a while, kept because the fabric, although not the best on a fully grown woman had definite potential. I decided to take some scissors to it and see what I could do.

And here is the result, a tiny bridesmaid/ Christening/ party dress for a tiny little girl. the embroidery on this fabric is so delicate it's perfect for a baby dress and actually reminds me quite a lot of some of the beautiful dresses I was put in as a baby (good taste mum! :) )

I love the feeling of having revamped and changed something of pretty much no value that has been discarded by someone else into something new and beautiful and wearable, it's exciting!









Home made jam

 

 

 

I've wanted to make jam for ages but when I first started looking into it I realised, fruit is expensive! It seems crazy to spend £20 on fruit to make a few jars of jam that you can buy for about £2 a jar in a shop! So with Autumn around the corner (Yay!) it seemed obvious to go out and pick my own fruit instead. It's a good year for blackberries and I easily managed to pick 1kg of them. I also added a few red currants that we had lying around and here it is. I followed a Nigella Lawson recipe for Jumbleberry jam and it was so so easy, easier than I thought, and it's delicious too! :)

Blue table DIY

I'm trying to make our home more homely and 'us' which is more of a challenge when renting. There are some many things I'm dying to do (chandelier in the bedroom!) but can't, so I'm trying to focus on the things that I can do :)

 

 

This table was £10 from the Emporium, and as you can see was boring boring boring! :) I painted it to match a few other accessories in the room and added a map under the glass to tie in with the map/travel theme :)

 

 

 

 

New dress time!

Because when isn't it new dress time round here? :) I wanted a dress with a low 'v' at the back embellished with something pretty. (too much time on pinterest is no good for me!) So when I found this champagne tulle I knew it would be perfect. I layered it with ivory tulle which adds a softness to the skirt that I like.

 

 

 

The front is plain, almost too plain for my liking, hence I added the brooch for these photos. But that's not the point because this dress is all about the back. Satin covered buttons, just for show of course, I love the look of buttons but they are annooooying to do up! And beaded lace panels, cut from an old wedding dress frame the neckline perfectly. Can't wait to wear it, but it is quite formal. I always plan to go for something more casual and it always ends up dressy. Never mind, I'm a firm believer that you can never be too overdressed! :)

This week...Veils and cushions :)

This week has been mostly about making veils, I've been surrounded by tulle in ivory and white, tiny pearl beads, satin ribbon and beautiful trims, I've been in my element, think I might have found my calling in life! :)

 

 

 But not just that, I've also been on a ring-cushion making kick. Using up beautiful scraps of satin and lace to create lovely wedding ring cushions, it's been a bit of a wedding accessories workshop around here, my favourite kind of week! :)

 

Recently...

....I have actually been incredibly productive, with photography, dress making, alterations and nesting, not that you would know it from looking at this blog! Here are some snaps from recently...

 

 

 

* New summer skirts * Pretty flowers * Alterations * A colourful patchwork work in progress *