Bunting

This week I have been making bunting; inspired by the Liberty Scrap Challenge (here), I decided I would have to give it a go. 

After all, I still have loads of the lovely scraps raided from Mum's collection. I've already made hair clips (here) and an elephant (somewhere on this page) but my love affair with Liberty is far from over. This project has been calling to me for a while!

So here are my first attempts at Liberty bunting...

 

... not bad (though I say so myself)! 

The bottom string of bunting is sewn onto 3mm ribbon with flags at 50% of the pattern size and the top string is threaded onto No. 20 crochet cotton with flags at 40% of the pattern size. That makes the flags in the bottom row approximately 3cm long and in the top row about 2.5cm long.

To be honest, I was really tempted to make them at 25% of the pattern (flags of 1.5cm long) but luckily common sense prevailed (for the time being at least)! 

These were fiddly enough. 

Especially since for some reason I decided to sew the flags on rather than using the iron-on interfacing from the pattern. 

Not entirely sure why. 

Although, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I didn't have any. 

And a trip into town to buy some seemed so much more time-consuming than sewing tiny flags on by hand. 

My logic never ceases to amaze me!

Anyway, after a small amount of mild cursing (having tied it in knots for the umpteenth time), I finally got it all finished, ironed, trimmed and looking lovely. Ready to be photographed.

Of course, the bears had to come and have a play at this point. Only to be expected really. It is 'bear-sized' bunting after all.

I have a feeling that it's going to be hard to separate the bears from the bunting in future!

Sunshine on St. David's Day

I thought about doing a February round-up (as I did in January) but I changed my mind. February has been, for me, a somewhat mixed month. I had a lovely week in Wales with my family and that deserves a post to itself at some point! I have been busy with various craft/selling related tasks but some are not ready to be unveiled, some are to be a surprise and some... well... lets say they haven't made it far enough to be worthy of note!

So on this gloriously sunny St David's Day, I have decided to look forward rather than back. This morning, feeling a little "out of spirits", I took advantage of a spare hour and went for a walk. I remembered to take my camera with me for once and have tried to capture some of the signs that spring is arriving.

The only daffodils flowering so far

Narcissus by a sunny wall

The river Frome

Unfortunately, my camera did not have the capacity to capture the grey wagtail on the river, the lapwings in the field nor the myriad small birds that flitted in and out of the hedgerows. Nor could it capture their song: the cacophony of the jackdaws as they chased each other between the rooftops; the cry of the wheeling buzzard; all the pips and whistles of unknown origin.

But there is difinitely something in the air. The high street, busy as always, seems to have more energy in the sunshine. 

People smile more. They sit on the benches to eat their lunch. 

The shop windows reflect the mood. There is an air of optimism everywhere.

 

My little bit of spring sits on the front windowsill and makes me smile as I sit typing.