Annabelle Serendipity

Saturday, 15 December 2012

Few Little Scraps

Some Scrappy Stuff

I enjoy decorating small items as it personalises them with very little effort and with just a few scraps, beads and buttons. I am particularly fond of scrappy edged applique, (because I am lazy), as it adds a certain old fashioned charm to things. I often use it on simple jelly roll quilts. The simple blue boys quilt needed the fish to liven it up - I added twelve in all, and the pale pink quilt also looked dull without the twelve scrappy flowers, and lots of beads and ribbons. The batik picnic blanket had only the one flower and that was probably too much as the background colours alone were already rather bright!

The four seasons panel is another attempt inspired by an item in Material Obsessions - by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke. This time I have introduced similar styles and colours as the last one yet with a patchwork strip background in seasonal colours. Again I have added buttons and beads and a strip of shiny silver fabric to depict ice in the 'winter' panel. I think they probably look too busy so will revert to a plain or lightly patterned background for further works.

Another seasons panel

Scrappy flowers on child's quilt

Decoration on batik lap quilt
(The white is the bed cover!)

Scrappy fish on child's blue quilt

Another scrappy fish on child's blue quilt

Beaded flower appliqued on child's pink quilt

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Christmas Fabric Wreaths

Fun Fabric Wreaths

These wreaths are so very simple to make from scraps of fabric. Collect a bundle of co-ordinating fabrics; each piece needs to be around six inches long and around two inches wide but a little more or less in size is fine. Cut each strip with pinking shears to tidy the edges. Around a hundred plus pieces are needed. A wire coat hanger makes the base and needs to be bent into a rough circle shape.

You then you just simply tie each strip until you have covered the coat hanger. To make it more Christmassy simply use some Christmas type fabric and colours and add some baubles or bows.

Coat Hanger

Strip Of Fabric Sewn To Cover The Hook 2 x 6 inches

Hook Covered With Sheath

First Ties In Place

About fifty ties in place

Almost Complete

Finished Wreath

Now For A Christmas Fabric Wreath!

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Bloody Round Robins

A Cheery Christmas Message?

Via Google

Do we all get those egocentric letters tucked into our Christmas cards? I am annoyed/amazed/riled by these ludicrous epistles that appear year on year with grinding regularity from people we really do not know/have no wish to know/would run in the other direction from if we saw them first.

Via Google

We have a distant cousin who regularly regales us with tales of her latest hysterectomy/amputation, escapes from a stalker, and updates on her daughter's latest Brownie badge and super star appearance as the left leg of a donkey in the school play. Last year we learned that the kitchen had been repainted (yellow) and new taps fitted at an unaffordable cost and that she now walked to work to aid her unacceptable weight gain and to save money too. Do we care? NO!!! This cousin has not been seen for at least twelve years although she lives less than ten miles away - because she is a proselytyzing Born Again Christian and very boring to be around!

Via Google

A close neighbour sent us the most ridiculous one last year, which told of her new career, how well the husband was doing, news of the son's cricket score record, the daughters achievements, the new cars and new schools planned (to save fees) - and other very personal details. This letter annoyed me a great deal as the neighbour's house can be seen from my front door less than one hundred feet away and we hardly ever speak. (I so hope she is not a blogger!) Why did she feel it necessary to tell me about her diploma in holistic massage and love of reflexology? The smug boasting note ended with the wish that "we were all enjoying good health" although if she had glanced across the road, or had spoken to the family, she would have been aware of my ongoing two year battle with cancer!

Via Google

Then there are the regular pages of A4 from people we met in Italy seven years ago who bored us so much that we moved resort in an early morning escape. They now have a new shed! And of course ... Beryl and Jack ... who could forget hearing all about Jack's mid-life crises affair with Mabel from the office, which he now bitterly regrets and is now back as a new improved model husband? He even makes an early morning cuppa as a daily pennance! What a star.

Via Google

Oh the joys of Round Robins!

Via Google

So this is my Round Robin for 2012 ...

What a wonderful year we have all had in the Ponsonby-Smthe household!

Mr Whizz Kid has excelled himself yet again by beating the Olympic Sprint Record for the race to the loo after arriving home daily from the Dog and Fox rather pissed. He is now down to seven pints of Guinness a night after heeding his doctor's advice. Sadly we have had to have a new hall carpet this year and settled on the colour of 'Puce', a favourite of Carpetland: it has proved a sensible choice and barely shows a stain. After his annual Easter trip to Everest, (which he again scaled in record time), we have had his bed moved to the ground floor for the duration of his back problems. He has changed his Mercedes Sport Coupe for a purple Motorbility Scooter, which is proving a great saving on petrol and more manouverable with his bad back and frostbitten fingers.

The Devil Child has continued to entrall us all with his exploits. After the little incident with the pistol and the nine neighbour's cats he has quietened down and was only arrested seven times this year. The girlfriend, Sharon, has been a gem visiting him in prison on a regular basis and was unfortunate to get caught with the heroin in her bra. They should both be home in time for Christmas. They will then move back to their penthouse overlooking the Thames, which is very convenient for the post office where they cash their benefit cheques and there is even parking for the Porsche.

The four older children have formed a pact and agreed to behave for the forseeable future due to the bad influence they seem to have had on their own sixteen children. After ten arrests, an arson attack, four court appearances, three kids expelled from schools and four wild drunken episodes the grandchildren have all behaved reasonably well this year. Mrs Smith from the corner shop has agreed to drop all charges regarding the Samurai sword incident after a happy chat with dear Grandpa Joe and his three pit bulls.

The grandchildren have been an inspiration: one World Record in fencing, (sadly withdrawn after the fatal injury of an apponent), two medals from Macdonalds, a 'Best In Class Award' for not swearing for a whole day in infants school, and a Guinness World Record for The Quickest Breaking And Entering An Alarmed Premises'. Tracey's pregnancy at eleven has provided much joy and Tyrone at nine promises to be a doting dad (you should see him with his teddy bear).

We also were overjoyed to hear from a relative of The Colonel in Nigeria, an old family friend of my Mother's. Sadly I don't remember him but he though so highly of her that he has left us a small fortune in his will. We had to re-mortgage the house and send £100,000 off to his son to be able to pay taxes and expenses before the millions can be deposited in our account from a secret Liberian source. We have been awaiting the deposit for three months and are so excited by this good fortune, which of course is complicated and is taking some time to organise. What fun we shall have next year with our new found wealth! (Of course we shall be giving to charity - The MPs Benefit Fund being favourite at the moment).

The family holiday in Thailand was a delight until we, (all fourteen) were deported because of Uncle Pete's behaviour. The misunderstanding arose through his love of little children and an accident with the elastic in his shorts. I think we may have been able to sort it all out amicably but the two drunken children did not do our cause any favours. We explained it was just high jinks with some Vodka but to no avail. Anyway there was a silver lining as Grandpa Joe fell in love with a seventeen year old girl and made her his child bride just two days after meeting her. She seemed not to mind the sixty year age gap and looked stunning in the mink, the Rolex and diamonds on the way home.

Me? I too have had a wonderful year: after winning 'The Mastermind' title with my speciality subject of the colours and textures of bunions, I then went on to write a best selling novel called 'Smelly Socks', an expose of family life to rival 'Fifty Shades', which has been snapped up by Paramount and is now destined to make me another small fortune, which of course I shall continue to spend on my love of chocolates, botox and wine.

I am so looking forward to hearing your news.
Merry Christmas.

Via Google

Tuesday, 11 December 2012

Simple Pub Lunch

Pub Lunch At The Fire Stables

London S.W.19

Fireside seats

Rustic tables and odd chairs

Welcoming entrance

Wine and beer

Pitta bread, tzatziki, hummous, and baba ghanoush

Mr Whizz Kid (Weird Fish) hiding from the camera

We have this lovely gastro-pub nearby (in Wimbledon).

The food and service are so good and yet the food and surroundings

are very ordinary. We had a simple platter for lunch with pitta bread,

hummous, tzatsiki, and baba ghanoush (and some good wine and beer).

It was very yummy.

firestableswimbledon.co.uk

Recipe:

Pitta Bread.

Toast and cut into small pieces.

Hummous:

Blitz chick peas, peanut butter, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, yogurt.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Tzatsiki:

Finely dice cucumber and add to greek yogurt.

Dress with chopped dill.

Baba Ghanoush:

Roast whole aubergine, scoop out centre and mix with chopped garlic,

lemon juice, pepper and salt and olive oil and then puree.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander.

Serve in separate dishes on a platter and enjoy.

Monday, 10 December 2012

These Boots Were Made For Walking

Bootees

Via google

I found some cute little pairs of Mary Janes bootees on google and sadly could not find the simple patterns to go with them. So (winging it) I came up with this similar copy. I thought they may stay on longer with the cross tabs - they fit the old teddy so maybe will fit one of the three new babies in the family. I so love knitting these tiny things as they can be finished in an hour or two. They are not so very imaginative, I know, but hey I am back to crafting!

Via google

I adore these wonderful 'fairisle' wools as they make even the most basic and mundane item into something a little different, and bootees take only a few oddments of wool and a little time.

Cute bootees

Sunday, 9 December 2012

Easy Gifts

Small Inspirational Simple Gifts

These are some small quilted and appliqued panels that I worked on for a prezzie. Each depicts a season and was hand quilted and embroidered along with the addition of beads and buttons and embroidery. I joined them together and made a four-season panel for a friend. (In fact I was so pleased with their simplicity that I also made two more for my family). I pinched the idea from a beautiful old book entitled "Material Obsessions" by Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke. Do look at their beautiful work and be inspired!

Material Obsessions - Book 1 - Kathy Doughty and Sarah Fielke

Sadly the pics were taken with my old camera and I seem unable to re-size them. Blogger is just not behaving itself!

I so enjoyed making these small panels - each is about 10in x 9in - and depicting the seasons with beads and buttons and embroidery.

'Spring' has daffodil shaped lemon buttons, pale green leaves, dark green beads and buds.
'Summer' is hot reds with spotty fruits and flowers and red crystal beads.
I so enjoyed using my stash of browns and orange for the 'Autumn' panel and using brown 'conker like' buttons, orange beads and some simple embroidery.
'Winter' is all about snow and ice with crystal beads, silver sequins and a shivering ginger cat and snowdrops in the foreground.

Each of the background trees are made up of fabric strips in an appropriate seasonal colour with a dark brown tree appliqued to the fabric. The backgrounds are all shades of blue and grey spotty materials and the whole is framed in a black fabric with tiny silver stars.

Saturday, 8 December 2012

Some Crafty Moments

A Bit Of This And That

aneleh:

Before I begin this poem, I’d like to ask you to join me in a moment of silence in honor of those who died in the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001.
I would also like to ask you to offer up a moment of silence for all of those who have been harassed, imprisoned, disappeared, tortured, raped, or killed in retaliation for those strikes, for the victims in Afghanistan, Iraq, in the U.S., and throughout the world.
And if I could just add one more thing…
A full day of silence… for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have died at the hands of U.S.-backed Israeli forces over decades of occupation.
Six months of silence… for the million and-a-half Iraqi people, mostly children, who have died of malnourishment or starvation as a result
of a 12-year U.S. embargo against the country.
…And now, the drums of war beat again.
Before I begin this poem, two months of silence… for the Blacks under Apartheid in South Africa, where “homeland security” made them aliens in their own country
Nine months of silence… for the dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where death rained down and peeled back every layer of concrete, steel, earth and skin, and the survivors went on as if alive.
A year of silence… for the millions of dead in Viet Nam—a people, not a war—for those who know a thing or two about the scent of burning fuel, their relatives bones buried in it, their babies born of it.
Two months of silence… for the decades of dead in Colombia, whose names, like the corpses they once represented, have piled up and slipped off our tongues.
Emmanuel Ortiz
Before I begin this poem,Seven days of silence… for El SalvadorA day of silence… for NicaraguaFive days of silence… for the GuatemaltecosNone of whom ever knew a moment of peace in their living years.45 seconds of silence… for the 45 dead at Acteal, Chiapas…1,933 miles of silence… for every desperate bodyThat burns in the desert sunDrowned in swollen rivers at the pearly gates to the Empire’s underbelly,A gaping wound sutured shut by razor wire and corrugated steel.
25 years of silence… for the millions of Africans who found their graves far deeper in the ocean than any building could poke into the sky.For those who were strung and swung from the heights of sycamore treesIn the south… the north… the east… the west…There will be no dna testing or dental records to identify their remains.
100 years of silence… for the hundreds of millions of indigenous peopleFrom this half of right here,Whose land and lives were stolen,In postcard-perfect plots like Pine Ridge, Wounded Knee, Sand Creek, Fallen Timbers, or the Trail of TearsNames now reduced to innocuous magnetic poetry on the refrigerator of our consciousness…
From somewhere within the pillars of powerYou open your mouths to invoke a moment of our silenceAnd we are all left speechless,Our tongues snatched from our mouths,Our eyes stapled shut.
A moment of silence,And the poets are laid to rest,The drums disintegrate into dust.
Before I begin this poem,You want a moment of silence…You mourn now as if the world will never be the sameAnd the rest of us hope to hell it won’t be.Not like it always has been.
…Because this is not a 9-1-1 poemThis is a 9/10 poem,It is a 9/9 poem,A 9/8 poem,A 9/7 poem…This is a 1492 poem.This is a poem about what causes poems like this to be written.
And if this is a 9/11 poem, thenThis is a September 11th 1973 poem for Chile.This is a September 12th 1977 poem for Steven Biko in South Africa.This is a September 13th 1971 poem for the brothers at Attica Prison, New York.This is a September 14th 1992 poem for the people of Somalia.This is a poem for every date that falls to the ground amidst the ashes of amnesia.
This is a poem for the 110 stories that were never told,The 110 stories that history uprooted from its textbooksThe 110 stories that that cnn, bbc, The New York Times, and Newsweek ignored.This is a poem for interrupting this program.
This is not a peace poem,Not a poem for forgiveness.This is a justice poem,A poem for never forgetting.This is a poem to remind usThat all that glittersMight just be broken glass.
And still you want a moment of silence for the dead?We could give you lifetimes of empty:The unmarked graves,The lost languages,The uprooted trees and histories,The dead stares on the faces of nameless children…
Before I start this poem we could be silent foreverOr just long enough to hunger,For the dust to bury usAnd you would still ask usFor more of our silence.So if you want a moment of silence
Then stop the oil pumpsTurn off the engines, the televisionsSink the cruise shipsCrash the stock marketsUnplug the marquee lightsDelete the e-mails and instant messagesDerail the trains, ground the planes.If you want a moment of silence, put a brick through the windowof Taco BellAnd pay the workers for wages lost.Tear down the liquor stores,The townhouses, the White Houses, the jailhouses, the Penthousesand the Playboys.
If you want a moment of silence,Then take itOn Super Bowl Sunday,The Fourth of July,During Dayton’s 13 hour sale,The next time your white guilt fills the room where my beautiful brown people have gathered.
You want a moment of silenceThen take itNow,Before this poem begins.Here, in the echo of my voice,In the pause between goosesteps of the second hand,In the space between bodies in embrace,Here is your silence.Take it.Take it all.But don’t cut in line.Let your silence begin at the beginning of crime.
And we,Tonight,We will keep right on singingFor our dead.

Artist unknown

While away visiting The Red Art Gallery a charming coffee shop and art and craft gallery, I found some unusual baby boleros among the goodies on show. They looked very simple to make and the design was very effective. One in particular really caught my eye with its soft blue wool and Japanese Kimono silk highlights so I bought it hoping to be able to copy it and make similar ones for babies in the family.

They were rather expensive (NZ$ 68 - about £30) but very pretty indeed and well made with good quality wool, silk and button. I have been unable to trace the maker other than "Deno NZ". This is a close up ...

My first attempt at a copy looked OK but was far too small and will only fit a small teddy. After much unraveling my second attempt was knitted all in one and on larger needles and with wool scraps and so far appears to be more successful. This is it at an unfinished stage - I shall post the finished article shortly once it is sewn together and the fabric highlights have been attached.

Unfinished bolero

Edging fabric

I think that from the third attempt onwards I may have solved the problems of sizing, shape and 'how to' and should be able to post a pattern later.

I have also been doing some simple embroidery, which I am not great at, but am overall fairly pleased with the results. I downloaded a couple of patterns from the net and have tried to accurately copy the pattern, the colours and the stitches. They have taken me forever and are still unfinished although tiny. I realize that I must try harder.

While sewing a friend (thank you K. x), sorted my silks and put them all onto card, which makes things so much easier not having to untangle threads before I use them. Such a simple solution and one I shall certainly keep to in future.

Cooking and baking have been high on my agenda recently; fairly ordinary stuff to help my family in NZ (children and vegetarians) ...

Savoury tomato muffins

Sweet banana muffins

Faaaar tooooooo many muffins!

Brownies

Tomato and broccoli quiche

Apple and cranberry and cinnamon tart - uncooked

Vegetable quiche

And jelly

Lots of jelly

Lots and lots of jelly

What is it with kids and jelly?

And faaaaaar toooooo much salad!

Salad, salad, salad

Now I am looking forward to being back in London and having a HUGE steak!

Knitting

Skein Rowan Creative Linen

I have also got back to knitting after missing my Knit and Natter group for several weeks. I found a lovely scarf pattern in John Lewis and along with some Creative Linen Yarn, made by Rowan, I have been knitting a scarf for a friend. The colour that I chose is Carmin a lovely coral red and the holey pattern was easy to do ... (knit one - yarn forward knit two together - repeat this pattern to the end on an uneven number of stitches). It grows at an alarmingtly fast pace and it should be possible to knit a simple scarf in a day with an 100 gram ball, on size 5mm needles and at a cost of around £9. This wool comes in a skein - something I have not seen for some time - and it was strange trying to rewind it into a ball when alone in the house (I wound it from around my knees!)

Easy scarf made in Rowan Creative Linen

Free simple pattern supplied by John Lewis