Still Here!!!!!

Yes I'm still here in blogland after a totally unplanned break from my crafting space.
I did take a wee sabbatical from sewing & crocheting & any such handy work for a time over the holiday season.
Before I waffle some more I must say A very belated Happy New Year to all my my online friends, hope you all had the most wonderful time :).
I did manage to get a lil bit of work done.....this scrappy quilt for instance

Finished, complete, a Tah Dah for the first time in a long time.
It feels good to complete something at last & I am pleased with it.

A scrappy quilt deserves a scrappy border, I do like it..........

Lots of yummy scrappy  colours...................

Am so happy with how colorful it is, I can't wait to start another, lots of scraps to be used up, how nice they look all put together in a cute quilt.

I'm working on a few other projects also.....long term projects......here's how they are progressing
Crochet blanket......sadly neglected cause of my crochet sore hand (recovered now) so back to it

My cross stitch sampler, a real long termer ......enjoyable though

And a kitchen makeover, a repaint, a much needed makeover

I'm about half way through this, will show you some more detail during the week....got some lovely prints to frame online, just the trick with my wee space
Well thats my news for now, hope to be back soon with more crafty endeavors
Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead
Karen xxxxxxx

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