Chapelford Summer Fair

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To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- Chapelford Summer Fair

This Saturday I went to Chapelford Summer Fair in Warrington and set my stall out along with 60 other people. It was a great day, really well organised with lots of fun things to do and watch. There were lots of lovely stall with beautiful products (which for some reason I did not take any pictures of!) and this is how my stall looked.

It went reasonably well for me, it was a gorgeous day and people were spending their money on food, ice creams and their kids rather than gifts and cards but quite a few people took my business card for the personalised heart decorations and cards and I received a lot of compliments. So overall a positive experience.

Next Saturday I will have a stall at the Great Budworth Summer Garden Party so wish me luck!

Preparing for Summer Fairs

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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

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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!

Crocheting in the Car

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To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- Crocheting in the Car

I started another cot blanket for a new baby boy during the Easter holidays. Having whizzed through it while we had our tour of the country to see family, progress has slowed now that we are back into the routines of school and all the running around that involves.

Here are some pictures of me crocheting while driving in various positions in the car. I had not realised what a great place it is to crochet until I started doing it when I was making the Rainbow Striped Blanket. All that time where I would be sat doing not very much used in a productive way. Very satisfying.

This blanket started as a heart blanket like Mary Ann Frits I Love Scraps Afghan which is such a lovely pattern but it seemed not quite boyish or robust enough some how. Inspired by Little Woolies beautiful mixed stripe blanket, I decided to make a blanket with the bobble stripes and then rows of treble and double crochet so that it was a bit speedier to make.

I am hoping to be finished by the end of this week (as long as I have time to sew in all those dreaded ends!) so watch this space...

New Baby Designs

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To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- New Baby Designs

I have been working on some new designs for new babies and have been using a butterfly lino cut that I have recently carved. 

These designs are flat cards that can be personalised with the new baby's name and birth date

Whereas these cards are similar to the Mother's day and Easter cards I have done but this time they can be personalised.

I have found pricing so hard. Both cards take more time because they are personalised. One has an ornament where as the other does not which must make the price higher, but not so high that by the time postage is added people are put off by the price. Looking elsewhere to see what other people are charging does not always help, and I am constantly worrying that I am under or over pricing. Are people really willing to pay much more for a hand printed and crafted card?

Rainbow Granny Stripe Blanket

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To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- Rainbow Granny Stripe

I learned how to crochet over a year ago using a book and YouTube and have had lots of fun learning and making things. I have made two blankets for friends or family's babies, but they have all been small crib blankets as I have not felt very confident at starting a larger project and finishing it before the baby is one. Recently we have had a new baby in the family so I thought that I would be a bit more adventurous and try a cot blanket. Who knows, I might even work my way up to a bed size blanket soon!!

Having searched and searched, I decided on Attic24's Granny Stripe Blanket. I loved this pattern and enjoyed wizzing up and down the rows. I crocheted it at home, in the car and on a train up to Glasgow to visit a friend, so this blanket was well traveled by the time it found its way down south to be given to its new owner. It had a bit of a rest when the blue yarn I had used ran out and I found out it had been discontinued. After a lot of desperate searching, I was very relieved to find one ball on ebay so I was able to finish it just in time.

This is me sewing in the last few ends before adding the border. Apologies for the poor lighting but it was quite late by the time I finished.

It was squared (or rectangled?) but I was in a rush to take the pictures before we left to deliver it and did not  notice I had not pulled it straight until after I had wrapped it.

I was really proud of my first cot blanket so I thought I would share it with you. I am now working on another cot blanket for a little boy so I will show you that when I have finished.

After Easter

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To look at this post at jodegenhart.com just click this link- After Easter

The kids are back at school now so I have had a little more time to spend on the Etsy shop. I had updated some of the personalised new baby cards to make them a bit more professional looking and am pleased with the results.

After a very frustrating day trying unsuccessfully to upload the new pictures onto the Etsy website, I have finally managed it this morning. Next is to look at a new design for the wedding cards and some personalised cards with no wooden ornament.