An Apron from a Shirt

Do you remember the Sewing Bee I made for the Hobbycraft 20th Birthday competition?  If not you can find it HERE.

Well, I just had to mention this..... the marvellous Lauren from Hobbycraft, Carlisle, modelling an apron she made from one of my very own Daddy L's shirts.  

It was for the same competition.  (She didn't win anything either!!)

The pattern was taken from my own book called The Shirt Off His Back, which is a fabulous book full of things to do with a man's shirt!  From chair-covers, to teddy bear nighties, it really is a bit of fun - if you can get someone to part with their shirts  ;)

Makes a great apron don't you think?

ps: The Amazon links I've scattered throughout the page are affiliated  if you click and buy I might get a few pennies.  

Crochet Along - Afghan Blanket - Square 4

If you would like to know what this Crochet Along is about, then please click on INTRO to read all about it  :)

Welcome to Square 3.

You can find previous squares by clicking on the links:
Square 1
Square 2
Square 3

I am using Hayfield Bonus Aran yarn with a 4.5mm hook.  Gauge is not important, although all of the squares do need to be the same size.    Check they are square by folding your work into a triangle and seeing if the edges meet.  The pattern is written in UK crochet terms.

• Chain 24, not too tight.

• Now you are going to work into the 6th chain from your hook  (do not count the loop on your hook as a chain, work where the scissor point shows)

• Work a Treble into this stitch  (Yarn round hook, through the stitch, pull yarn back through  (3 loops on hook) yarn around, pull through two stitches (2 loops on hook) yarn around, pull through 2 stitches  (1 loop on hook)

• CH 1, then skip a stitch on the foundation chain - the next stitch will be placed into the stitch after the skipped one, as shown by the scissor point in the photo.

• TR into this stitch.

• Repeat the CH 1, SK 1, TR until you have FOUR holes.  

• Now work a TR into EACH of the next 4 stitches  (no chains in-between)

• Going back to the CH 1, SK 1, TR pattern, work until you have FOUR holes, ending on a TR in the last stitch.   You should have 4 holes, 5 solid Trebles in the middle and 4 holes again.

• CH  and turn, ready to work back down the row. (This CH 3 counts as a TR + a CH)
• Skip the next stitch and TR into the next, which is the top of the TR post from the row below - as shown by the scissor point in the photo.



• CH 1, SK 1, and TR into the next stitch, as shown by the scissor point.





Repeat the CH 1, SK 1 and TR until you have FOUR holes.

• Now work a TR into EACH of the next FOUR stitches.

• Going back to the CH 1, SK 1, TR pattern, work until you have THREE holes, then to end this row you will be working a TR into the stitch as shown by the point of the scissors.

• Repeat the last row another two times, making FOUR rows in total.

• Next row:  CH 3 and turn.
• Now you are going to work a TR into the SPACE shown by the scissor point.

• The next TR will be worked into the next stitch.

• Next, work a TR into the SPACE.

• When you get to the middle 5 TR's work a TR into each stitch.

• Then continue working across placing a Treble into each space, ending with a TR in the last space..

• Next, work a TR into the turning chain as shown by the scissor point.

• Your next row is a row of Trebles.  (Don't forget the CH 3 at the start) Be sure to place the first one in the correct space as shown by the scissor point.  Also make sure you get the last one in the turning chain from the row below as you have been doing, otherwise your square will start to decrease.

• Work another row of Trebles, making it three rows in total.

• Now we are going back to the pattern we started with.

• CH 4, then skip the next stitch and TR into the next,  as shown by the scissor point in the photo.



• CH 1, SK 1, and TR into the next stitch, as shown by the scissor point.





Repeat the CH 1, SK 1 and TR until you have FOUR holes. 

• Now work a TR into EACH of the next FOUR stitches.

• Going back to the CH 1, SK 1, TR pattern, work until you have FOUR holes.

• Repeat the last row THREE more times.

• Now you should have 4 rows of pattern, 3 rows of plain trebles and 4 rows of pattern - equalling 11 rows.

Make another 11 of these squares - 12 in total.

This is how your week four squares will work within the final make-up.

I will be back next week with Square number 5.

May Classes & Workshops 2015

May Classes

Why not come along and learn a new hobby... or two?

Crystal Bracelet - 05/05/15 (3.00-5.00pm) - £10.00

Learn To Crochet 1/3 - 07/05/15 (5.30-7.30pm) - £25.00

Crochet & Craic - 11/05/15 (5.30-7.30pm) - £5.00  (BOP)

Learn To Crochet 2/3 - 14/05/15 (5.30-7.30pm)

Knitting/The stitch after-15/05/15 (1.00-3.00pm)-£10.00

Needle Felted Fairies-19/05/15 (3.30-5.00pm)- £10.00

Learn To Crochet 3/3 - 21/05/15 (5.30-7.30pm)

Crochet & Craic - 25/05/15 (5.30-7.30pm) - £5.00  (BOP)

Beaded Earrings-28/05/15 (5.30-7.30pm)-£10.00

Sewn Heart Ring-29/05/15 (1.00-3.00pm)- £10.00

BOP = Bring your own project.

Hobbycraft, Carlisle. 
50% non refundable deposit required on booking.

Places are limited booking is necessary.

www.soozintheshed.co.uk

Baby Blue Mobile Cloud - design by 'Pygmy Cloud'

Last week I organised a "Crafternoon" using patterns from the Mollie Makes publication, and held in Hobbycraft in Carlisle.  All profits were going to Comic Relief.

Sadly, and rather annoyingly, no one turned up!  Even though I had advertised it and there were posted put up in the store.  It was quite disheartening to be honest.

Anyhooo... as I was sitting there crafting away to myself, a colleague asked me to make her a cloud mobile for the baby boy she currently has baking away in her oven.  She wanted it in blue, and would put a donation in the charity pot.  How could I refuse?   :)

This was the sample cloud I took, the pattern was in the Mollie Makes Crafternoon Comic Relief Special, by Pygmy Cloud.

As requested, I did it in blues  :)   Cutting out the felt from a lovely soft baby blue colour, and edging it in white blanket stitch.  I caught in lengths of ribbon as I worked along.

I then drew a cute little smiley mouth on and added cheeks and googly eyes with fabric glue.  I cut out and added raindrops to the ribbon hanging from underneath.

And 'blue cloud' was born!

Here he is with his friend, Rainbow Cloud  ;)

At least I had something to do and take my mind off the distinct lack of people.

Lauren, a Hobbycraft colleague, did the second half of the session, and she had no people turn up either - so she made cute little Easter Chicks and Marvellous Moustaches.

Still, we will not be defeated, we will continue to offer nice things up, in the hope that one day, someone will come along and support our efforts.

A Sewing Bee (Yep, really, a sewing BEE!!)

Last month I was working on a secret project that I couldn't share with you as it was to be judged in a competition.  The competition was held at Hobbycraft's 20 year birthday celebrations down in Bournemouth.   (I didn't go, I just made the entry ;) )

The brief was "make something in connection with the Sewing Bee".....  hmmm, what can I make, I wondered, when Hubster piped up "A Sewing Bee"

The man is a genuis!!

So, I set to work, making a Sewing Bee.

A quick sketch planned out what I wanted to create.

Before I started building him up.  With a cotton face and underbody, and a furry over body, he then got a tape measure for legs.

Netted wings held in place by mini scissors.  (you can see it but I was watching The Sewing Bee while making a Sewing Bee  ;)  )

Time for a closer look at all this bits and bobs  :)

So, we have mini scissors holding the netted wings in place, then a needle threader added to hide the stitches holding the scissors on  :)

Safety Pins for eyebrows, buttons for eyes, a plastic thimble for a nose.

A zip for a mouth, with a foil of pins and needles as a tongue  (glued in place for safety!)

Tape measure legs with a mini thread bobbin glued on the end of each one as little feet.

An un-picker for a stinger - although my son argued that it was in the wrong place.  My argument back was that he had buttons for eyes, a zip for a mouth, and scissors holding his wings on - he was never meant to be physically correct   :)

Ooooo, you could get a good sharp sting from that  :)

Then..... do you remember my Teeny Tiny Patchwork from the other day?  Well, it was to make a honeycomb style pin cushion.

Which I attached to the underside of the bee with velcro, so it is removable.

And Voilà!

The Sewing Bee was born   :)

He didn't win sadly,  he didn't even come close. But I enjoyed the challenge, and fun, of making him.