Preparing for Summer Fairs

I now have a new blog address.

To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- Preparing for Summer Fairs

After all the cold weather we have had this spring it is hard to feel very summery for a summer fair but as I have booked to go to Chapelford Summer Fun day on the 8th June and Great Budworth Summer Garden Part on the 15th June, I really need to get everything into shape and make more stuff to fill a whole stall. This week is my last full week to get things done without the kids at home for the holidays so I need to make the most of it. I have not done two fairs close together so we will see how it works!

I have been working hard painting hearts, stars and key rings, wooden doll's heads and faces, printing cards, crocheting dolls dresses and generally trying to get everything together.

After a lot of indecision I have decided to look at doing wedding cards and possibly stationary. My doubts lie mostly in the quantity of each I would have to produce in one go and managing to fit that in with everything else I do with the kids, family, friends. I think I am getting there now though and if I spend a bit of time organising life and work better (I am currently sat in my lounge surrounded by clothes, toys, cups, and lots of other things that I should have tidied away last night) then I could manage it all. If people like the look I may even try doing some wedding fairs next spring time.

So for the stall I am planning to have cards, father's day gifts, little wooden peg dolls (american style peg dolls) with crochet dresses, some printed stationary and then a section for the personalised and wedding cards. If I have time after that then I would really like to make some lino printed softies, maybe some owls or  Russian Dolls. As I look at my long list of 'things to do, I have a feeling that may be something I have to save for Christmas!

Stripey, spotty blanket

I now have a new blog address.

To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- Stripey Spotty Blanket

Now, I know I said that the blue blanket would be finished a few weeks ago but I have never been good at timings especially when it comes to crochet! So here is it...

                                   

Having been inspired by Little Woolie's mixed stitched blanket to make a much simpler version of her blanket, I decided to use her idea of binding in the loose ends by creating a number of rows of crochet then folding the rows in half and sewing it to enclose the ends.

After the blanket was the size I wanted it to be, I did a round of double crochet and then did a two rows of treble crochet all around as you would a  normal border. I added two rows of trebles on each side, decreasing on each end to create a kind of beveled edge. Next I folded each side over, sewing them over all four sides and sewing the corners together.

This is how the corners looked when I was finished. I was very pleased as I hate darning in the ends and I would definitely use Little Woolie's technique again.

So this blanket is now on its way to its new owner, who must be about a month old now!