By Helen

02/27/2015

glass fusing…

A while ago I joined York Makers, an amazing Facebook group that organises fairs (lots more about that later), offers support and advice to makers in York and has started offering skill sharing sessions. At the skill sharing sessions, the maker invites other members of the group to their home, or workshop, to share their skill and let members try something new. Yesterday evening I was lucky enough to be at the first skill sharing session. The incredibly talented Naomi, from Naomi's Stained Glass showed us how to fuse glass. Naomi makes the most amazing fused and stained glass; you must pop over to her page and have a look (and a like)! Lots of us gathered in her home, ready to try something new (to most of us). It was amazing to be with such creative talent, including: Non Solo Guacamole, Hippystitch, Lucy Monkman, Sarah's Yummy Kitchen and lots of others (I hope I haven't missed anyone)...

Make sure you have a look at their work! Anyway, back to the glass fusing. Naomi stated by explaining a little bit about how the glass fusing process is carried out and then it was time to play. Naomi had lots of glass for us to choose from, it was like being a child in a sweet shop, to help us make a coaster and two small pieces of glass, which she will turn into a key-ring or pendent for us.

It was amazing to see the creativity in the room: all making the same things but with our individual styles…

The evening ended with Naomi showing us her AMAZING workshop, which is where her kiln is…

Naomi is going to cook (probably not the right word) our glass and we can pick it up in a few days time. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Naomi is a really brilliant teacher; she offers workshops for anyone to book onto, is thinking of offering workshops for children, she’s taking part in York Open Studios as well as working on commissions. Make sure you have a good nosy at her work, along with the other artists mentioned at the start of this post and don’t forget that you can also find me on Facebook HERE :)

Happy crafting!

xxx

27 Feb 2015 13:59:30 | making, Other people's stuff, Something new, York

02/19/2015

ric-rac, rik-rak, rick-rack , roses…

For Valentine’s Day I made roses…

The roses are made from ric-rac (also known as rik-rak and rick-rack). I hope you know what I mean? It’s trimming that looks like this…

It comes in different widths, it really doesn’t matter what size you have to hand, you’ll just end up with slightly bigger, or slightly smaller roses! I thought I’d share with you how to make these ric-rac roses. Here goes. You’ll need your sewing machine, thread that blends into the ric-rac (although I am using one that shows up, so that you can see what I’m doing), scissors, pins,a ruler, glue (either fabric or hot glue-gun) and a peg!

Cut length of ric-rak, about 25-30cms long, then cut it in half. Twist the two lengths of ric-rak together…

The peg comes in really handy for securing one end! When you have twisted the lengths together, go to your sewing machine and make sure that you are using a straight stitch (average length will be fine) and set on the slowest speed: your fingers are going to be close to the needle! Carefully stitch down one side of the twisted ric-rak…

You might need a second peg to stop the other-end unravelling…

When you’ve finished stitching it should look something like…

Practice rolling the stitched ric-rak into a bud; do this a few times, so that when you start with the glue you don’t end up in a mess (like I did first time around). When you are ready, roll the stitched ric-rak into a bud, gluing as you go …

When you have finished gluing, you might need a pin to secure the end…

Leave the roses overnight so that the glue completely dries. When the glue is dry, gently fold out petals…

Decide what you are going to do with your lovely little rose. I glued this on to a ring…

Let me know what you decide to you with your ric-rak roses, remember that you can find me on Facebook HERE

Play about with different lengths of ric-rak and different widths, until you have blooms and blooms of roses.

Happy crafting!

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19 Feb 2015 11:42:27 | Fabric fun, How to..., Something new

02/12/2015

new book: paper (yes paper) flowers…

I try really, really, really hard not to buy craft books. I already have a lot of craft books and sometimes, especially when they are very themed, I find that they stifling creativity: encouraging you down one particular route rather than letting you walk your own path. Every now and then, though, one comes which you know you have to have on your bookshelf. That is what happened the other day, I found a book which I fell instantly in love with and had to have there and then. The book is all about making paper (yes paper, not fabric) flowers: in fact the book is called Paper Flowers and is by the incredibly talented Denise Brown…

The book has thirty-five step by step projects to make your own fabulous flowers. Here are just a few of my favourite (it was VERY hard to choose)…

Aren’t they just lovely? I can’t wait to get making. I have to warn you: I am very tempted to try and adapt some of these paper flowers into fabric flowers!

Have a lovely weekend!

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12 Feb 2015 14:37:33 | Books, inspiration, making, Review

02/05/2015

crochet blanket: finished…

I’VE FINISHED MY CROCHET BLANKET! Yes, I am shouting. Yes, I am jumping around the house feeling, somewhat pleased with myself. It seems like ages and ages since I started crocheting my blanket: oh I was ages ago (back in 2013), when I first crocheted that l-o-n-g foundation chain!

My crochet blanket is most definitely a Lucy blanket, using her colour pallet. Crocheting using someone else’s colour pallet has been a rally interesting experience. Lucy’s colours, and not really my colours: Lucy’s colours tend to be from Spring and Summer, whereas mine are very much Autumnal.

So why crochet with Lucy’s colours? Good question. I think that it is good to move outside of your element occasional and try something new. Lucy is a real inspiration, and the way she uses and blends colour is just fabulous, so why not. Crocheting using different colours, I have learnt A LOT: about how colours complement and contrast with each other and about how colours blend together and shout against each other. Most of all I’ve really enjoyed crocheting it! Want to see it? Ok here you are…

Remember that you can now find me on Facebook - HERE and on Ravelry - HERE.

5 Feb 2015 11:49:13 | 1st post of the month, celebrations, Crochet

01/29/2015

buttons, buttons, buttons…

I’ve mentioned before how much love buttons. Well who doesn’t? So, you can imagine my delight my I got a button making manual from one of my loveliest friends. The manual by Gina B, who I mentioned in my last post, on ganutell: yes, I am aware that I sound like a groupie. It’s just that Gina B is soooooo talented. The technique for ganutell and button making are very similar: both involve wrapping thread, only when making buttons you have to wrap really, really, really tightly and with ganutell you wrap really, really, really gently. The manual is fully of delicious buttons to make, using a verity of techniques, including crochet! I (for once) started off with what looked like the more simply designs. Would you like to see how I got on?

Wraps to make a star (my most favourite shape)…

Another star (because you can never have too many), but with a different shape base…

Death’s Head (not my name) wrap, which is the base for the more complicated buttons…

Getting more confident, I attempted weaving my threads…

Getting more ambitious (a little too ambitious, don’t look too closely at the stitches) with embroidery…

First attempt at the Union Jack, ended in Iceland…

Second attempt…

I am going to put brooch backs on to the back of my buttons and wear them, while I think of more uses and make more buttons!

Enjoy your weekend!

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29 Jan 2015 12:17:09 | making, Something new

01/22/2015

something new: ganutell…

Every now and again I love to try something new. I did make a promise to Si, that I would find my craft and stick to it, but sometime the lure of something new is just too strong. I justify my breaking this promise, with the fact that I am making flowers. I love to crochet flowers, make fabric flowers, so making flowers in a new way is just an extension of what I am already doing, not really something new! Right? I am a massive fan of the incredibly talented Gina B (it is thanks to Gina B that I make finger braid) so when I heard the she had ganutell flowers kits, I knew that I had to give them a try. I think the main reason I am such a fan of Gina B, is that she love heritage craft with a modern twist. I also love, loVE, LOVE history: so what could be better than ganutell – history, making and flowers – what’s not to love? What is ganutell? I hear you ask. Ganutell is a flowers made from coiled wire shaped into flower petals with thread wrapped over the wire. I’ll show you…

I am sooooo happy with how these turned out: I can see a new addiction coming on…

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Remeber you can now find me on Facebook :)

22 Jan 2015 12:36:10 | making, Something new

01/15/2015

simple crochet – granny square…

Hello Lovelies ! It’s been a crazy week here in blogland, as I have had lots and lots of new people dropping by. You are all very welcome. I really hope that some of you will stay awhile: I love sharing my crafty adventure with you all. The big increase is completely down to the lovlye Lucy, from Attic24, sharing a photo of my winter wreath. Thank you Lucy!

You can choose to follow my blog, or join me on Facebook HERE and I put my crochet patterns HERE on Ravelry: just in case you were wondering!

I thought that I’d ease us into 2015 crochet with something simple: crocheting granny squares. I do like granny squares, I don’t think I love them in the same way some crocheters do, but I definitely like them A LOT! Actually I have more granny squares, in my home, than I realised! I have them on cushions,, cushions, cushions,I use them every day as coasters, there on my needle case and I used them on my foot-stool…

I thought that I share with you how to crochet yourself a simple, basic, granny square: a request that also came from a conservation in a pub over Christmas.

I am using dk yarn and my trust 4mm hook, but you can crochet your granny square out of anything (copy and paste pattern at the end of this post).

Start by crochet 3ch and joining with a ss, to make a circle, 3ch, 2tr into the circle, 2ch,…

3tr into the circle, 2ch…

3tr into the circle, 2ch, 3tr into the circle, 2ch, ss to join…

Turn, either continue with the same colour, or join a new colour, 3ch…

2tr into the chsp, 2ch, 3tr into the chsp, 2ch…

3tr into the next chsp, 2ch, 3tr into the same chsp, 2ch…

Repeat this into each chsp, then ss to join…

Turn, either continue with the same colour, or join a new colour, 3ch, 2tr into the chsp…

Into the corner chsp, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 2ch (the 2ch moves you to the next chsp), 3tr into the side chsp…

Keep going, all the way around …

Keep crocheting in the same way until your granny square is the size you want: small or big…

HINT – if you find that your granny square is curing up at the edges you might you to try putting in an extra chain or two, so that you have a bigger chsp to work into. If you find that your granny square is on the baggy side, only put one, or even no, chain, on the side of your squares and work into the small gap rather than actual chsp.

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Copy and paste pattern:

Crochet 3ch and joining with a ss, to make a circle, 3ch.
2tr into the circle, 2ch, 3tr into the circle, 2ch.
3tr into the circle, 2ch, 3tr into the circle, 2ch, ss to join. Turn. Then either continue with the same colour, or join a new colour, 3ch.
2tr into the chsp, 2ch, 3tr into the chsp, 2ch
3tr into the next chsp, 2ch, 3tr into the same chsp, 2ch.
Repeat this into each chsp, then ss to join. Turn.
Either continue with the same colour, or join a new colour, 3ch, 2tr into the chsp.
Into the corner chsp, 3tr, 2ch, 3tr, 2ch (the 2ch moves you to the next chsp), 3tr into the side chsp.
Keep going, all the way around.
Keep crocheting in the same way until your granny square is the size you want: small or big.

15 Jan 2015 14:37:55 | Crochet, How to...

01/08/2015

a cold and frosty morning….

The world seems to have had a difficult start to 2015: with the awful things that are happening. I hope that your 2015 has got off to a more peaceful start? I am truly blessed that mine has. Even when things get stressful (and really they aren’t in comparison) I find that it is incredibly important to remember just how lucky I am. When I feel myself wavering, and things start to build-up (as they often do for many over the Christmas holidays) I try really hard to keep life as simple as possible, and reconnect with the little, but oh-so important things. One thing I love to do is go for a walk. It doesn’t have to be a long walk, I often like to go for a walk along the river, which is close (sometimes too close when it floods) to my home. I am very lucky that I can head to the end of my street turn left and be in the middle of York and turn right and wander along the river bank of the Ouse. This is what I did one cold and frosty morning; I took my camera along – so that you too can come along…

Not a person in sight, it’s just us…

Still just us as we near the Millennium Bridge…

Turned into Rowntree’s Park (yes, we have visited here many, many, many times before) where the grass was dusted with icing…

And the water frozen…

And the park benches had a frosty, fuzzy, coating…

And the leaves looked like they had been dipped in icing sugar…

But still there were reminders that Spring isn’t far away…

My hope for us all in 2015 it that we can have peace. That we acknowledge that we are all different, celebrate that we are all different and not be afraid to talk about out differences. Can you imagine if we were all the same? So, please where ever you are, pray for peace, look for the blessings in your life and remember that beauty is all around.

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Ps – I forgot to tell you. Over Christmas I embraced the twenty-first century and set up a Facebook page for byhelen. So, if you’d like to pop over and like the page, please do, this means that you’ll get notifications when I post and lots of other things that I want to share with you. At the moment my Facebook page hasn’t lots of content, but it will come: we all have to start somewhere!

Like me HERE - thank you!

xxx

8 Jan 2015 13:44:30 | 1st post of the month, A grand day out, inspiration, Seasons, York

12/30/2014

a year gone by…

Are you having a lovely holiday? I really hope that you all are. This morning I have, indulgently, been browsing my own blog: I do this occasionally, so I don’t repeat myself (sorry if you feel I do) but as a way of celebrating all the makes and shares that I have posted. I love to craft (especially crochet) but I love sharing with you all even more. I think that it is really important to look back, celebrate and learn before going forward. I would highly recommend that you do this. I think that lots of people tend to do this naturally at this time of year, as one year ends and we start the New Year full of promises and resolution. I’m not big on New Year resolutions, unusually for me I made three last year: I am very happy to report that I kept two out of the three. The third wasn’t kept, but not from my lack of trying – it just wasn’t meant to be: I certainly won’t be beating myself over this! So here’s my look back over some of my 2014 highlights. Here’s to 2015. See you next year!

Teaching some lovely ladies how to make fabric flowers: seeing how their creations bloomed…