Card Making

Ella & I started on our Christmas cards yesterday.
She's great, every year I'm am reminded daily by her 'mom we need to make our cards'............
Every day until I finally gather our crafty bits & pieces & start cutting & glueing & piecing together
Here's a preview of what we've achieved so far

Oh yes Christmassing is well under way........
Back soon, have a sweet evening
Lots of love Karen xxxxx

Starting some gifts

Just wanted to pop in real quick to show you two of the Christmas gifts I've started to make.
I've got four weeks left, that means four weeks of sewing, hooking & maybe drawing some pretty pressies.
Here's my start.......

Pretty wristwarmers, will be much needed here, weather's getting colder by the day.
I used two strands of yarn, dark blue & purple, can't see the lovely mix ....bad light again!!!!!
Finished with a cute pink flower, Girley eh!!!!

Coasters in cotton, this is a work in progress, want to make at least six to make up a set.
Simple to make and nice with the different border colors....I think :)

Lots more to do ...................................Have a sweet evening
See you soon Karen x

Bee Quilt

I've had these lovely blocks coming in over the last few weeks, part of our Modern Irish Bee.
I was queen bee for october & used a brilliant tutorial from this blog called 16 minutes of play, its a peach.
I'm gonna work on this for the next few weeks, here's a few completed blocks

Each person has two blocks, one following the tutorial & the second was left to create yourself

I love what my fellow bee members have done so far, aren't they sweet :)

See you soon
Lots of love Karen x

Scrappy, scrappy, scrappy

Hi there I'm popping in for a brief preview of a quilt in progress, I have four on the go for far too long, so I'm determined to make some serious inroads over the holiday period on them.
This is the first scrappy project I've ever done & I'm having fun with it, no real worries about matching colors & pattern, just chuck those scraps together...........well sort of!!!!

I've begun quilting..........machine of course in a very pale pink

The backing is a pretty print from Freshcut, I've had it for an age & this was the ideal project for it

I think I'll be putting a scrappy binding on, think it'll look good, reveal just round the corner :)
On the crochet side I've had to hang up my hooks for a while, my right hand has been so sore, so no more hookey for me ..............for a while at least Hmmmppp!!!!!!

Instead in the evening I've been stitching....enjoying it so much, though the slow pace is hard to get used to, slowing right down, easy does it, one lil cross stitch at a time, relaxing though

This is a sampler I bought way back in January, its huge.....gonna take an age to do it!!!!

I think I may have been a wee bit over ambitious when I purchased this one but I've always wanted a beautiful cross stitch sampler on my wall, I'm determined to do it, might take years but I'll get there.

Time to pick up the hoop & teeney tiny needle for the evening. Thank you for visiting me here at my4lilgirls, please do leave a comment, I feel so encouraged by your thoughts & opinions.

Have a sweet evening

Talk again soon Karen x

Still here!!!!!

Yep I'm still here, neglecting my poor blog, but in fairness I have been a busy lil woman......making costumes for Bethany. She's big time into anime conventions, so muggins gets to put the costumes together.
K lets have a look........ FANG (thats the name of the character, final fantasy......I believe)

Thats her......she made that amazing weapon herself (harmless of course).

Now Fang was relatively simple to do, but this next one .....Tifa was a wee bit more detailed (final fantasy again)

I like this costume the best, tha back is a cape of pleated satin, looks real good on beths.

The third one almost wrecked my head, I had to do this in a day for her...........gggrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Before you ask Nooooooooo its not a sexy french maid type thing, I know it has all the hallmarks but it is indeedy a character from some anime thing again. I wish the photo was better as there was an awful amount of detail in this........Any hoo after all that we saved almost three hundred euro by making these ourselves.

Most of the costumes cost between one & two hundred a pop........... whoa what a waste :)!!!!!!

She's already planning her next two....I'm dreading it !!!!!

On a completely different note I ordered this....

What a lovely book, it arrived in the post today & I simply couldn't wait to have a go at one or two of the blocks, especially as I've seen so many beautiful Farmers wife's quilts online in recent months

What do you think.................

So proud of my points, think its the first time I've gotten them almost perfect

Sorry about the bad color, lights awful at the moment, stupid Irish climate :(

I'm chuffed, however I know I picked pretty easy ones .....think I'll give this a go next

Just look at all those points, what a challenge....I love a challenge

Well thats all the updates for now, have been missing your blogs so I'm off now for an hour of blog browsing

Have a sweet evening y'all Lots of love Karen x

Back again

I've been away from my blog for far too long, actually its only been a week & a half, feels like longer though.
I've missed it, posting & rambling on & checking out all your cool posts & makes & chatter, its a nice pastime don't you think !!!!!
So I guess I'd better share one or two wee things with you, first up are a few lil makes for a Christmas shoebox Ella is putting together, we're having all the kids at church make one up........

A pretty pencil holder in nice pastel fabrics.....scraps are great.....roll it up and secured with ribbon & a button. This blue bird fabric is one of my favourites from Dena Designs, so cute

Also a crocheted hat in soft yellow,

 hope the little one that receives this box will be happy, it kinda suits Ella, think I'll have to hook one up for her too :).

Also using up some more scraps I put together a few cushion covers.

Lauren is putting up some church interns at her place, so we put some homey touches in her spare room including these cushions...

The back is in a nice soft polka dot flannel, soooooo soft, great for cuddling while snuggled up in bed.

The room looks lovely, wish it was my bedroom.

Also this week.....lucky me, I've received an extra large bunch of flowers delivered to the front door, a thank you for the dresses & curtains from a few weeks back

They just about fit into my largest vase, beautiful coloured roses, almost a coral pink shade

Feel so blessed.

Well that's my lot for this post, thanks for popping in & have a wonderful weekend

Lots of love Karen x

Bridesmaids

Some sweet bridesmaids

I tell you these girls would look great in a sack, but I was proud to see them wear these dresses.

More so though doesn't Karina look amazing.

This is a facebook pic, hope to see the real wedding photos soon :)

Thought I'd give you a peek at other dresses I made a few years back also

Girley & sweet.

Can't wait to make dresses for one of my 4 lil girls

Have a lovely day

Lots of love Karen x

New Things

I wanted to pop in & show you some new things, pretty nice things, I like pretty things, try to fill my house with them, as far as possible, like when someone buys me nice gifts or I find a cute thing in the thrift shop, has to be pretty though.
Anyway I don't know quite how I'm typing right now, a minor miracle I have to say. Just finished a rather large pair of curtains.....17ft x18ft to be exact, now that was a chore in itself...the sheer weight was a bit much (velvet) but it was the finish that almost made my thumbs cave in. they were finished with eyelets, 35 in each curtain, man pressing those little "*?*!!**$*"s in has left me numb.
But its done yayyyyyyy just in time for the wedding on Sunday, the curtains are for the church building....an old theatre, so finally I can focus on some sewing & crafting for my shop & for Christmas.
Anyway after much ado about nothing I have started a new blanket....I know I don't need another blanket but the patterns a real sweetie, found it here at http://hakenenmeer.blogspot.ie/, a great blog, always filled with colour & beautiful crochet, love it.....

I'm twelve rows in & enjoying the sheer simplicity of it, loving the soft colours & taking my own sweet time

It really is a pleasure to focus on a simple crochet blanket after the complications of dresses & giant curtains.

Also trying out some simple patches

....not too sure where I'm going with it .....a cushion, maybe a bag, we'll see!!!!

Have had these Vintage Modern charm packs for a while so it sure is time to crack them open

Also I have listed the crochet cushion in my Etsy shop....hope it sells xxxxx

Received some lovely books recently as gifts....I love gifts, don't you??????

Two cook books, a new one by Rachel Allen...CAKE....seriously, nothing but cakes, its an absolute dream of a book, could be a nightmare too but I prefer to look on the brighter side, its pure bliss :)

Easy entertaining by Darina Allen, excellent book, so many great recipes, will be well used

Then lastly Country Cottage Quilting by Lynnette Anderson, full to the brim of inspiration, I love it.

Can see one or two projects in the near future from this.

I'm so happy to be able to get back to a normal routine again, some crochet for now

 & lots more besides :).

Thanks for dropping in to see me this evening, hope to be peeking into blogland a lot over the next few days, I have sooooooo missed your blogs

See you soon 

Lots of love Karen xxxxxx

ps Will put up some pics of the bridesmaid dresses on mon, the big day is this Sunday

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

At last, at long last I have finished those dresses, Carina took them away literally ten minutes ago.
Now I so do not want to go to the wedding cause I know I'll just sit & pick at my work all day, I'll be miserable, sounds dreadful.....but I just know I will.
Oh Lord give me a peaceful mind that day so I can be Happy & enjoy the whole wonderful event just like a normal person.
Is anyone else like that out there...........................??????????????????

Anyhoo I've finished yet another cushion, good grief can this woman make anything else?????
Seriously these were such a welcome & simple distraction from coral colored dresses, so please help me out here & indulge me while I show you the latest offering........pics are dreadful......bad light & all that :(

Did a white back, followed the lovely bobble pattern then changed to shells to square it, I love the bobbles, don't think I've finished with these.

A row of bobbles close to the edge & buttons to finish the opening

I added a wee flap inside to finish the opening nicely, so the cushion pad isn't showing & to sew the buttons onto, def looks better. I think I'll be putting this in the shop, have to decide on price etc & take some pics in better light so  you can get a better image of the colors.

Also at our church thrift shop I picked up a few nice bits

Ain't she pretty, got two of them for E3 each, one with & one without a lampshade, not that its a keeper 

So after a lick of Annie Sloan paint & a new shade for E6 here she is.....one of them anyway

Got this pretty lil clock also, now it was a yuk brown but a touch of paint & viola

The mechanics are shot but I like it for its prettiness, who cares about the time anyway!!!!!!!!!!!

So that's me for another evening, I'm shattered tired & am so longing for this weekend, feet up, nice food, friends & family & maybe some handsewing....I'm thinking hexagons :)

Hope you all have the best weekend, thank you for popping in & for your sweet comments

Lots of love Karen

ps Thank you Sue for the award, will post it in the next few days xxxxx

I know, I know.....!!!!!!

Another cushion post, I did originally want to post all four cushions together, but other work has held up production & I don't like to leave it too long between posts, so here's finish number two.
In my defense I almost finished a third today, but just didn't.....!!!!!!!
So another round squashey, poofey, sweet pillow....

Heather Bailey freshcut, this fabric seems to be lasting forever, not that I'm complaining, its such a lovely line. I centred a mandala in the middle & its just the right touch.

Sweet pink ricrac on the edge.......I love ricrac, one of those timeless trims, I remember it on dresses when I was a kid, it just has a simple appeal that gives a perfect finish .....

Just right with this quilt. I did want to put this in my Etsy shop as I really need to stock up, but its not really right.....I'm not entirely satisfied with it, a wee bit out of shape (pics don't show that) & I didn't pay enough attention to small details, but I will def make some more & try to sell them.

I think I'll be finished the dresses tomorrow, one or two little details to do.....I tell you I will be sooo soooo happy to have them collected & away with the lovely bride to be.

Next week I have one huge pair of theatre curtains to make each one is 17ft by 17ft finish wahhhhhh!!!!!

Then I'm freeeeeeee...I cannot wait to get back to a normal routine & get working on building a proper Etsy shop. 

Christmas isn't all that far away & I do want to make quite a bit of christmassy bits...its so exciting, I love this time of year, the build up & preparations, especially when you do like to make gifts Eeeeekk

Anyhoo enough of that, thank you for dropping in, I love to receive & read your comments & browse your beautiful blogs, it really is a lovely pastime x

Hope you have a wonderful evening

Lots of love Karen xxxxxx

Thats a Blooming Big Flower

I have a finish at last, a big flower cushion, all pink & white & fluffy & squishey :)

Its such a pretty pattern & well worth the effort, so a few peeks eh!!!!

Did a different border to the pattern, scalloped also, just smaller with a trim.

Know how I said I was keeping it, well one of my friends has a birthday today &..............its going to her.

Thank God for self makes saves a lot of shopping time & decision time.

Made some buttonholes & added three pretty buttons so the cover can be removed & washed if need be.

Well my friends thats it, one down some more to come........SOON!!!!!!!!

Hope you all have the best weekend ever

Lots of love & thanks for popping in to see me 

Karen XXXXXXXXX