Wilberforce in the Wars

 Poor old Wilberforce is not a happy bunny, he has been wearing this buster collar for almost two weeks because of eye problems.  The vet is not sure if it is an infection or he has hay fever.  He is taking antibiotics and eye drops and having his eyes bathed twice a day but he keeps rubbing the area until it bleeds so he has to wear the buster collar until it clears up.

 Higgins is keeping well, here he is reclining on his favourite sofa...

I have been busy, as usual with my crafts.  I signed up for a patchwork quilt course and have almost finished the first four squares, have a big piece of cross stitch on the go which I haven't photographed yet and have finished another crochet blanket for our local dog shelter.

I love Wagamama and used to go there once a week.  I don't get into the city much these days so I bought a copy of their recipe books and thought I would try recreating them at home.

We tried the Chicken cilli men yesterday. I am not much of a cook, in fact I am pretty rubbish but with John's help in preparartion it actually tasted really good. Want to try a few more from here now.

To Jessie love Arthur

I have wanted to scrap these WWI pictures for some time so the Scrap 365 May Challenge seemed the ideal opportunity and  I had already knitted the poppies for it.

The left hand picture was taken in France hence the Eiffel Tower picture and French postage stamp.  In the vellum envelope is a scan of an original silk postcard and message.  I have several of those he sent and they are in good condition considering they are almost 100 years old!

I cannot image what it must have felt like - they were in the rifle brigade - spending 4 years in a trench and knowing they could be killed at any time.  Or what their wives and children must have felt when they read about the huge numbers of casualties each day.

Luckily he survived, or I would not be here today.  Makes you think, doesn't it?

Back in Business

Don't know where the last few weeks have gone but at least the summer seems to have finally arrived.  I now have a new camera, my old one which had been chewed, dropped and generally abused finally gave up the ghost.  The old one was about 10 years old and although I hate learning to use new gadgets I must admit my photos are much improved as you can see by these two examples, above and below.

My sewing room (above) is the fourth design I have worked from my Veronique Enginger book. I am taking a break from this book now and want to work a few things a little bit different.

This cross stitch Atelier sign is for the door of my sewing/craft room.  I tried out some fabric oddments, ribbons and other craft bits and bobs from my stash before deciding how to finish it.

Here is the finished sign...... 

I just need to fix it onto the door now.

 

I fell in love with a Sue Hawkins meadow flowers biscornu design with stumpwork poppy in a copy of Stitch magazine last year.

I bought the materials pack direct from Sue which uses Oliver Twists spun silk.

 

I haven't done any embroidery for a long time so I really enjoyed making this.  The poppy and leaf is in stumpwork which I have only done once before. 

Here is the finished biscornu......

My sewing machine has not been idle and I run up this little linen bolero jacket from Simplicity pattern no 1984.

Amongst my current projects is a piece of filet thread crochet worked on a size 1.50mm crochet hook!  It looks like an old rag at the moment but am hoping once it is finished and blocked it will look o.k., fingers crossed.

 

If you want to get ahead.....

get a hat (groan), couldn't resist that.    Hats are essential wear in this part of the world.  If you are not wearing one when the wind whips off the North Sea your hair ends up looking like a haystack in a high wind.  I have just finished these two.  The top one is crocheted with a knitted band.  The pattern is available to buy as a download from Interweave's website.

This one is crocheted Bruges lace, the pattern is in Interweave's crochet accessories book I got for Christmas.  Wilberforce does not look very impressed with it.

It was John's birthday last week and I bought him a sweatshirt and then needlefelted it with this fish motif.  He had seen it in one of my craft books previously and said he would like it.  The black labrador card is 3D decoupage although you can't tell from this photo.

 I have managed to do a bit of sewing recently - this credit/loyalty card pattern was free online from warehousefabrics inc.  and for the lining I used some pink fabric leftover from yet another hat I made. 

I have stitched another fashion sketch from "Fashions of Yesterday and Today" but my camera went doolally yesterday so I haven't been able to take a picture.  I did finish this black labrador kit from Heritage Crafts which has been on the frame for a while.  It really reminds me of our darling Sidney, so lifelike.

The Great British Bark Off

No, I didn't misspell the heading, in the current issue of Wag there is a recipe for doggie cupcakes taken from a new book called Dinner for Dogs by Henrietta Morrison.  They looked simple enough for even me to make so I thought I would try them for "the boys"

Here is the recipe, I substituted minced pork for the lamb and added 2 eggs as the mixture looked a little dry with just one.

Here is Wilberforce waiting for them to finish cooking.

The finished result.

Mmmm, delicious

 

I tried to photograph Higgins eating his but he always runs to another part of the house to eat in private, probably to stop Wilberforce taking it from him!

 

* * * * *

 

On ther crafting front I am still working on cross stitched designs from my Veronique Enginger book.

This designs, my third, is called The Crazy Years 1925 and I have now started on a fourth design from the same book.

 

Scrap 365 March Challenge

I have wanted to scrap this pic of Wilberforce wearing the crochet coat I made for him since I took it so Scrap 365's March challenge was the ideal opportunity. 

The only problem is I don't do minimalist in  scrapbooking or life so this really was a challenge for me as I never have blank space on my pages.

Anyway, resisting the temptation to slap everything bar the kitchen sink on this, here is my interpretation of the sketch.

Coco Chanel and a special delivery

I have now finished the second design from the book by Veronique Enginger I received from the boys for Christmas and have started a third.  There are just so many gorgeous designs I want to work in this book.

I had to chose this design next as I recently finished a biography of Coco Chanel.  She really was a woman before her time.  She started her business with the help of her British boyfriend, Boy Capel who tragically died in a car accident shortly afterwards.  She said in later life that he was the love of her life and that was the reason she had never married.  It was a pity she felt it necessary to hide her humble beginnings, these days she would be celebrated for her achievements against the odds.

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The boys were so excited the other day when a delivery arrived for them.

 

 What is in these boxes?

 The packaging tastes good.

 Four sacks of food + 92 tins, all for us.

 

 

 

 This lot looks interesting.

 Wilberforce reckons Higgins should not have these treats as they have an Airedale on the front so are not meant for Border Collies.



Robe de bal (or Prom Dress) finished

I have now finished my Robe de bal design from the book I got for Christmas, I am pleased with the result and have started another from the same book.

The boys have been loving the snow and running around in it at every opportunity. As you can see, it is starting to melt in these photographs and the rain has now washed the rest away.  We were snowed in for a week as we do not have a car at the moment and the nearest shop is five miles away.  Eventually we walked down to the main road and caught a bus to the nearest town once it had cleared a little.

While we were snowed in I got the urge to make some cards, something I have not done for a while.  I won't put all of them on here, too boring, but here is a small selection.

 

 

New year, new crafts

 

Can't believe it is 11th January already - what happened to Christmas and the new year?  I didn't have much time for crafting over Christmas but since then have started some new projects and finished off some older ones.  The embroidered brooches above only take about an hour each to make using buttonhole stitch and French knots.  I have found them very addictive.

 

I have also gone back to needle felting.  I made this butterfly brooch a few months back and had a teddy bears head in my workbox so I decided to make the body and finish it off.  I am still very much a beginner at this craft and it is far from perfect but I am learning with each new project.  I have a felted flower brooch in progress but have to wait for some green wool to arrive as I only have a small selection of colours at the moment and am building up my stash gradually.

 

Wilberforce and Higgins bought me this gorgeous cross stitch book for Christmas, they have very good taste!  There are about 10 designs in here I would like to make and have made a start on the cover design already.

Talking of "the boys" here there are.  This is the view that faces me when I am sitting in my stitching chair.  Wilberforce likes to lay on the coffee table like one of the Trafalgar Square lions while Higgins prefers to lay on his back on the sofa.  For a working dog he certainly likes his kip!