About Me

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My name's Alison but for reasons too long to go into I'm known as Cockney Blonde or CB for short. I've been rubber stamping for several years but now spend most of my time either knitting or crocheting. However, with the advent of a New Year I have bitten the bullet and am tackling my usually hated pastime of sewing. I've even bought 'Sewing for Dummies' to guide me on my way. I've been with my hubby Dave for 24 years and between us we have 4 kids and 5 grandkids. We also have 2 cats and a dog, the latter features as my 'photo' image. I used to be able to blog daily but these days I struggle to blog weekly. Hopefully now we are settled into our new home in the country, I can get back to a daily (well almost) update from the room I now have to share with hubby. No more personal crafting space for me!!! Thanks to all the blogs and sites I follow for all your brilliant inspiration, and thank you to everyone who finds the time to comment on my blog.

Saturday 26 April 2014

Going Dotty for Spots

Good Morning Peeps. Hope you're having a nice weekend.
Here is the second of the little summer frocks I promised the Little Lady. However, having tackled the first, red, one without too much of a hitch, this one proved to be problematic in absolutely everyway. Even down to attaching the hook and eye back to front....duh! My excuse is my current health problems, so I've decided the final dress can wait a few weeks until I'm feeling better.
Of course, on top of everything else, Little Lady had had a growing spurt so even though I'd cut some extra length for the hemming, I still had to let the straps down by 1/2" and then still didn't get much of a hem. Sadly I couldn't persuade her to model it for the blog....
This is just a first time attempt at sewing some hexies together for a matching project. More of that for another time.

'til next time, x

Saturday 19 April 2014

Cardigans everywhere...

At last I can bring you the three most recent makes in the knitting arena. I did go a bit OTT on this one but the pattern was so easy to knit up and I just loved the hemline.
This top one is 0-6 months, ready to be sent to a friend who's got a baby due in the family.

Next up is the 2-3 years size for another friend's grand-daughter's birthday.
 Lastly, a 5-6 year size for #1 Scottish grand-daughter's birthday, although that's not til October.
This last one actually started out as a 2-3 year size!!! until I realised there was an error in the pattern. Often a problem when found in a magazine. After googling the pattern I realised the error but decided to continue with it for the October birthday.

I then set to with an alternative self-pattering yarn and made the middle one and realising I still had yarn over I made the baby one.

Of course you will remember what happened to the scraps of yarn that were left......yep, those naughty Easter chicks who invaded my Easter basket with their eggs, lol.

I hope you're all enjoying some nice weather over this Easter weekend.

Back soon with more goodies to share, x

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Hot or Cold

Good Evening Peeps, another beautiful day here in Cheshire. Sadly our gardener, aka #2 Son, had to go home today, but while he was here he managed to clear the garden of weeds, and wash my car. He also managed to empty the contents of our kitchen.....
I just wanted to share some piccies with you of these rice bags I've made in anticipation of selling at future craft fairs. So simple to make and brill for using up scraps. The top 2 have been backed with material from a re-cycled t-shirt so they would be nice and cosy if they were heated.
These last 2 are just in a 100% cotton so would probably be more practical as cool packs.

Either way they are great for soothing aching bones and joints.

Back soon with some knitting, x

Tuesday 15 April 2014

Make do and Mend?

The reason for the question mark at the end of my title is, do I class it as a make do and mend or is it something else.

Well what it is, is a pot holder. However, how it came about was from a piece of knitting that didn't go according to plan. So I backed it, added some wadding and a ribbon and made a pot holder for DH to help him in the kitchen.

What do you think?

Waste not, want not, as my Mother used to say.

Sunday 13 April 2014

Look Who Arrived and LOOK what they did!!!

Well, just as I had managed to get the previous wee chicks fledged and off to Scotland to deliver their Easter goodies to the Scottish grandees than these wee critters arrived...

Well if that wasn't enough, they spied my mini Easter basket which I had crochet and lo and behold...
 This is what appeared....
 Now, what am I supposed to do. Wait for these to hatch?????
Or eat them???

Decisions, decisions.....

Wednesday 9 April 2014

A Floral Surprise and Woodland Friends

Aren't these just a beautiful arrangement of floral goodiness. Without allowing my blog to slip into a depressing pit I haven't been too well recently and last week had to have a short stay in hospital. Hence the gap in recent blog posts. Anyway, the lovely ladies of our monthly rubber stamping group came up trumps and one of them, along with her hubby, popped round yesterday with this beautiful arrangement.
To get this view I stood on the dining chair, not a good idea!!!
Anyway, I wanted to share their beauty with you all and to let everyone know how much I appreciate their loveliness and the kindness of others. Thank you ladies.
 However, not one to be sat idling my time away, and oh boy have I loads of that, I am continuing to sew, knit and crochet. This little bunny was almost completed on the morning I was going into hospital.
Mr Owl was completed today. Both of these are from the Simplicity Pattern which came with last month's Sew magazine. So easy peasy to make and it looks like I already have homes for both of them.

More stuff to show you but I'll save it for another day.

Hope you are all well in blogland, x