Happy Knitting Week!

Wishing all my readers a happy Knitting Week! Perfect timing for starting on a cosy autumn project, don't you think?!

Doesn't that little mouse just look so cosy! It certainly made me smile at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival earlier this year :)

I didn't have the chance to share these pictures at the time, but it was a really great day out in March with some fellow fibre enthusiasts. Below are a few of my highlights.

I also have a few woolly links up my sleeve...

As it's also Wool Week, I recommend checking out the Campaign for Wool website - lots of lovely events going on all over the UK this week!

"How wool got cool" - a Guardian article on the weird and wonderful things us crafters get up to these days.

The UK Hand Knitting Association's website has had a bit of a makeover - well worth a look, it has plenty of ideas to help you get started or find out more about the world of knitting.

Fabric Friday

#FabricFriday is back!

My first/last Fabric Friday post was back in January, so I thought it's about time I did another.

As is often the case, one afternoon I was looking for some stitchy inspiration (it may even have been initially for my still-ongoing possible-quilt/quilting project) and had a gander at what Pinterest had to offer. As usual, it did not disappoint.

I love the idea of using something entirely non-traditional as a "canvas" or "fabric" to stich on or embellish a project with and found this really gorgeous mixed media piece (below) by Claudia Orengo, aka Stitch the World. It's such a beautiful way of using a lovely vintage postcard whilst simultaneously breathing new life into it.

During the same search for fabric and textile-related ideas, I also came across the work of Hella van 't Hof. She operates at a fascinating intersection between traditional sampler-style embroidery and old photographs imbued with wistful memories.

Her works have an added tactile element as the images have been printed onto canvas, providing the ideal surface to stitch onto.

I like the way these embellishments add a three dimensional aspect and often take an organic form, complementing the original photograph and giving the evoked memories a feeling of tangibility.

It's Fabric Friday!

I spotted a hashtag on Twitter that caught my attention a little while ago - #FabricFriday! It kind of hit me right between the eyes as a simple but effective idea.

 

I can't quite remember if it was a trending topic or if I just saw it because it popped up in my feed of "textiley twitterers" - in any case, I thought it would make a good theme for a (semi-) regular post on my blog.

If you read this post back in November, you might recall the mention of a quilt challenge... I was aiming to have something finished by the end of this month, but alas, it would seem that I was overly optimistic! I have made a little progress on my ideas and inspiration board for the quilt I'd like to make but hadn't quite anticipated how completely manic December and parts of January would be.

Image via Pinterest

I did a little bit of sewing, it's still in a slightly experimental stage, since I've been kind of making it up as I go - this is what happens when I get an idea in my head about how I'd like to use a certain piece of fabric...

So I suppose what I'm saying is that one of my new year's resolutions is to actually make a proper plan for my quilt, which will hopefully bring it one step closer to completion! (Wish me luck!!)

Image via Pinterest

What are your crafty new year's resolutions? Drop me a comment!