Crafting new things :)

Hello , hope you are having a busy creative time . Two weeks back , Raj and Anshita had their Birthdays and apart from store bought gifts and cooking their favorite food ,  I also made something handmade for them .

Crochet Scarf for Anshita :)

I had this Red Heart boutique ribbons yarn in my stash for a long time and I used this free scarf pattern . There is a video on the same link which is more helpful than the written pattern and one has to wind the yarn in a specific way which is also shown in the video . The scarf turned out a bit long as I just wanted to finish that one ball :)

We went out with few of Anshita's friends to play laser tag . They aren't yet ready to grow up :)

For Raj , I made a zippered passport bag :)

Not sure if he will use it but he was happy to get one . I used chain stitch to embroider 'Bon voyage' on a patch of felt fabric .

I made an eggless vanilla sponge cake which turned out very well and spongy . Recipe here .

I have completed cross stitch ladybird fairy but I don't have time to take nice pictures . Hopefully, I will share before the year end .

Happy crafting! :)
Preeti

Challenge accomplished.....not just one, but two :))

Thank you for appreciating my Temari work :) I am glad to share that I have completed two challenges and one you might guess is the Japanese Temari ball :))

Here is what I have done on the other side of the ball

I have deliberately chosen contrasting design patterns and colors because I wanted to try everything in one ball . To see the bottom part of embroidery , check my previous post here

In the centre design , I added golden border and golden beads

Click here to see how to work on shapes . I have done layered square shape with same herringbone stitch . The links that I am sharing are not the exact patterns but will give some ideas to start with . Apart from this , I also referred to the book 'Temari Techniques' by Barbara B. Suess

I have worked only the basic levels of Temari and even then it has created a beautiful effect . There are many wonderful and challenging designs if you search on the internet .

I had challenged myself to read 24 books in the year 2016 and I have completed that last week :)

Screenshot from my Goodreads

There were all kinds of books and the non-fiction ones took lot of time to read . I will continue with the same count next year .

On the cross stitch front , I am both excited and bored with the ladybird fairy, excited because it is nearing completion and bored because there so many ladybugs which means lot of work .

This is an incomplete lady bug . Each one will have 7 color shades and a bead :(
And with less amount of space for ending thread on the back side , it is becoming thicker like a real ladybug .

For most of my blogger friends who are celebrating ,

Happy Thanks Giving !!
Have a great day and weekend!
Preeti :)

Temari Challenge week 2...going great!!:)

Thank you for following my Temari challenge progress this November :)

My progress after the 2nd week 

This type of embroidery pattern is known as 'Kiku' in Japanese meaning Chrysanthemum . It is made with layered Herrigbone embroidery stitch called as Uwagake Chidori  . Click on the links to see the pattern and stitching tutorial .

 

The beginning : Pins marked at a calculated distance between North pole and equator of the ball 

Embroidery in progress

Layered pattern formed as the embroidery rounds increase

On the centre/equator , also known as 'Obi' , I stitched solid square shapes with the same stitch . These solid shaped patterns are also commonly used in Temari balls

I have started using Kreinik metallic threads on my Ladybird fairy and I am enjoying working with it.

My first ever chilli grown at home :) I always had failed attempts due to flower drop problem

My spinach keeps growing big and giving steady harvest twice a week .

Hope you enjoyed seeing my Temari progress pics .

When I wrote my post today , I found a google notice about cookies notification as per EU laws . I don't even remember whether I disabled it years back while designing my blog . When I checked with my country domain , I did not see any notifications . Anyways , I have no energy to analyse it right away and make any changes but if anyone has come across it or know about any tutorial on what needs to be checked/done , then do share it .

Have a great day!
Preeti :)

Temari challenge - Week1 and few more updates :)

As you all know I decided to take a challenge to learn a new craft and dedicate an entire month towards it, this is where I am at the end of first week of November with my new craft - the Japanese Temari ball .

I have a book 'Temari Techniques' by Barbara B. Suess and I am also learning from the website TemariKai . Below is the process I followed to make the ball , enlarge image to see the text . 

Looked a happy red ball of circumference 25 cms. until I started poking pins to mark the points . Many thread loops came out and then I understood that I should wind it more tightly . I did one more round of covering with a single sewing thread . I had to be careful and slow because fast and tight winding could have cut my finger . My ball then got reduced to a firm 24 cms in circumference . 

Some mathematics is involved in creating the guidelines on which the embroidery is done . I started with an intermediate level of S16 division . The ball is divided into Longitudinal lines and an equator which is called as 'obi' in this craft .  

When I was 90% done with my guidelines marking , the metallic thread frayed and broke :( So I used Anchor pearl cotton thread in golden shade . Since the ball is small so I am going to embroider it with Anchor pearl cotton threads .

As promised earlier , here are few images of my cushions together 

 

These are the cross stitch projects I worked on last month .

Height chart :- I managed a good amount of negative progress - truncated a large chunk of tree :((((

Dimensions Kitty Litter :- Almost completed the black cat on the extreme right and started a new grey one on the extreme left . I planned to complete this project on my last Birthday but seems it might even take another birth to complete :)

Ladybird fairy :- Worked on the skin part , it will look better after back stitching .

Thanks for seeing!

Happy crafting!

Preeti

Longest crochet cushion :))

Thank you for your wishes on my last post !! :)

Sharing the longest crochet cushion I ever made --  4 ft x 1 ft 

I made it for Anshita's window sitting area and it took almost two years to complete ; not because of the size , but I got hooked onto other projects . My earlier idea was to make it a day and night cushion having back side as embroidered day scene but who has got the time to turn it over twice a day so I just made it a starry night cushion :) I made a matching satin blue cushion to attach the front crochet part . I used Anchor knitting cotton and 2.5 mm hook , the square pattern is from here .

On Diwali evening, Anshita made this Rangoli (a drawing made with fine sand like substance using pinch by pinch) all by herself this year :) Apart from the legend I mentioned in the last post about Diwali, we worship Goddess of wealth , Laxmi and we make Rangoli(s) outside the main door as a symbolic welcome to her .

I had completed one more large cushion , 24"x 24" , last year . I attached it onto fabric cushion last week . You can see my other large size cushion here .

It is a simple mitered pattern made with  Lily sugar n cream solid and variegated yarns and 4.5 mm hook .

I have started working on my challenge of making Japanese Temari ball this month . The first week is dedicated to searching tutorials and gathering material . I will post the beginnings in my next post .

Hope you are having a great week!
Preeti

Happy Diwali with a published gift !!!:)

Wish you all a very happy , safe and prosperous Diwali !!:)

Courtesy : Internet

On this ocassion , I am glad to share that my crochet Diwali Diya pattern got published in the Oct-Dec, 2016 issue of Anchor Needle 'N' Thread magazine , India .

About Diwali - Diwali is the biggest Hindu festival . According to Hindu mythology , this day Lord Rama returned to his kingdom in Ayodhya after his victory over the demon king Ravana . After fighting a fierce battle with demon's army , Rama got back his beloved wife Sita who was kidnapped by Ravana . Also it was the end of Rama's 14 years of exile that was ordered by his step mother . On his return , the entire kingdom was lit by lamps since it was a day of Amavasya (no moon day) .

The term ' Diwali ' means a ' series of light ' and is celebrated by lighting lot of earthen lamps and lanterns . Delicious sweets and snacks are prepared and we light crackers for fun !

Have a great weekend!
Preeti :)

Small little things !!:)

Thank you for your support and wishes on my last post ! I did well on my stall activity and sold more than I expected :)

I did not have accessories to display things and I did not want to invest on those either . I used the items at home and Raj made a notice board for me out of a photo frame . A stall was equivalent to a table , medium sized , good for me as I did not have too many things .

I made small crochet items for sale as I had only two weeks . Considering that it was a fun fair kind of thing and that residents will purchase just for fun so I made low-cost small items than costly large ones .

These are the things I made . I made 10-12 of each item . Anshita created and printed the packaging details for me and Raj helped pack those in zip bags .  Here are few samples .

Heart keychain . These were all sold out :) Free pattern here 

Crochet coasters , I made few earlier here

Crochet applique - a free pattern which I edited into smaller version .

Doll's accessories , these received lots of smiles and sold well too :) Made from my own pattern

Diwali diya hanging designed by me

Luggage/purse tag . These were all sold out too . Free pattern here

I also made beginner's cross stitch kits - four of the same design, will share picture in the next post. None purchased but people showed interest in knowing what it is . The good thing is that I learned to make a kit , otherwise , so far I have only designed charts .

I also kept some homemade chocolate packs for kids because I had all girly things on my stall .

Homemade chocolates - I just wrapped in foil, into a zip bag and tied a ribbon

These were the different shapes of chocolates that I made .

Dinosaurs and Robots

Assorted shapes

Assorted shapes - dark chocolate

It was a very nice experience and residents , both known and new , who visited my stall appreciated my work :) I did find a few who were interested or were into crafting but none who did crochet .

Life is busy again but I do remember about my challenge and I will be making 'Temari Balls' , a Japanese craft , in November . I had purchased a book long back , you can see how beautiful and intricate this art is in the pictures I posted here .

It was an overdose of crochet , first cushions then so many stall things , so last weekend I did some cross stitch which I will share in the next post :)

Hope you are having a great week !
Preeti :)

Surprises for my blogger friends !! :)

Recently two of my blogger friends Kim and Jo celebrated their milestone birthdays . I had sent both of them a surprise gift package :)

It was difficult to choose what to make because both of their cross stitch choices are different than what I make .

I made a cross stitched card for Kim with the letter 'K' in French style lettering designed by Susan Bates . The chart is from the magazine Cross Stitch Crazy , July 2016 issue which I purchased on my family vacation to Australia in May this year . You can see my craft books and yarn haul in Australia here and here . You can see the beautiful gifts Kim sent me as part of her Bday RAK .

These are the extra crafty things I sent with the card . Fabric, buttons, crystal chain for her miniature dolls and a lovely fabric pouch depicting an enlarged version of  the miniature paintings of Indian princesses . She was very happy with my surprise :)

Jo received this cross stitched stick figure super woman character , 'Unstoppable' :D because she is always superbusy with multiple projects and SALs apart from her work . The chart is from the book 'Attitudes A to Z' by Kyla May
 

And the extras - Buttons, fabric and the zippered pouch . She also loved all the things :)

Showtime!! The cherry tomatoes are on and busy coloring . I can't let the entire bunch grow red otherwise the remaining tomatoes won't grow .

I am busy with few things as I have volunteered for a week long function in my apartment society . There is a weekend where we would have a DJ and Dandiya(traditional dance using sticks) and other entertainment and food stalls . I am also putting my craft stall just for fun and if I happen to sell anything, I am going to donate to charity as you know I am not into business but more into hobby and designing. Wish me good luck as this is the first time I am setting up a stall and have lot of apprehensions too . Raj has been supportive taking up more housework to allow me spare time but I am still uncomfortable standing on the other side of the table . Hope everything goes well :)

Have a great day!
Preeti