Esme's birthday skirt... and a happy Patch!

I am trying oh so hard to use fabrics I already have, as they are threatening to spill out of already overfilled drawers. But oh I do like to fabric shop! This time though the drawers contained all I needed for Esme's skirt


I think I may have got the dotty fabric from Ditto Fabrics in Brighton... and as I moved from Brighton oh, maybe eight years ago, it was possibly time for it to be used. I imagined a skirt of patchwork squares with a chunky white band at the bottom, which it is, but I'm left feeling a little hmm about this make... Maybe the colours are too pretty and girly? I do like the waistband though, made of two channels of elastic.

This skirt has a distinct summery feel, which is maybe daft for an end of August birthday as the weather is feeling rather autumnal, but as the past few Septembers have been so hot and sunny I obviously decided this year would be too! Hopefully Esme will happily twirl around in it this autumn with some snug leggings underneath. We parcelled it up with a favourite read


Hope you had a happy birthday, Esme!

There has been some recent fabric shopping... by Patch. Oh why did I think that was a good idea? But it is this fabric that has resulted in a very happy P. Poor Patch has started to complain on long car journeys that his car seat is too hard and uncomfortable. Well, I do believe I can do something to rectify that! And this is where I let P select the fabric. Silly me. We had fun looking through the many fabrics from frumble, with me pointing out some jolly car prints and such. I even suggested some fabric covered in comic kapows (which sadly I can no longer find) and which is most unlike anything I would choose. But I had failed to spot this. And it is this that has made both P and his bottom most cheery


When Patch saw this he was trying so hard to be pleased, but there was a disappointed but I thought it was going to be a Star Wars cushion Mummy?


Obviously this will be face down whenever I might get to choose. To save it from getting bleached in the sun, of course.

Sorry about photographs, but how to take a good one of a car seat?
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Sweet toys for Miss Mabel

A dear little kit to knit for! Miss Mabel has recently been adopted by some lovely friends and we all felt she needed a welcome to her new home gift


This is what happens when you search for kitty toys on Ravelry. The ball is the ideal crochet sphere , sorry but no idea what size sphere I followed! And the rabbit is the catnip bunny. So tempted to knit a full rainbow of rabbits... they look too sweet! The wool was the leftovers from the crocheted minion. Can't imagine that they will last long with those sharp little kit claws but I do hope Miss Mabel has some fun with her new toys. Just look at that tail!


And here's a photograph of Miss Ethel (as we have no Miss Mabel to show you!)... can't have a post about kitty toys without a sweet kit!


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A summery deck chair

Oh my, thought I should show this today before it becomes too autumnal to look at such sunny things


I do so wish I had straightened the fabric before taking the photo, but really do not feel like doing battle with the shed on this rainy and windy chilly day. So this photo shall have to do.

This is actually an old make that has been so well used by Patch that the fabric has faded...The deck chair frame came from the ELC sale a few years ago and I had intended to paint it but was persuaded by Mr R to leave in its original state - he mentioned flaky paint around the moving parts but I think that would have just added to its charm. So yes, I do wish I had painted it. The fabric sling is a Cath Kidston print simply made with a channel at either end for the poles to slide through. Patch was quite small when I made this so I didn't feel the need to use double thickness fabric though I will next time. Because I am already planning the next time! I have saved a full size deck chair frame from my parent's shed which is already painted a delightful shade of blue and Patch has requested more planes, possibly backed with a dotty fabric like the dreamy Danny Deckchair made by Yvonne from the lovely Yvestown blog. Or maybe a blousy floral so Patch and I can share the deck chair, changing the sling around as we fancy!


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I crocheted a Minion

As Patch was so overjoyed to have a Mummy-made Mike to take along to Monster's University, it seemed a good idea to make a Minion for a trip to view the much anticipated Dispicable Me 2. A search on Ravelry resulted in an amazing looking pattern from the blog All About Ami. This was my first attempt at amigurumi and because of the great pattern (and accompanying step-by-step instructions for those that really do need a hand held... goes without saying I had these by my side throughout!) Patch went to the cinema clutching this


Oh my! I had no idea I could produce this... the pattern really is so great! And just look at that hair


This cheeky Minion's goggles and dungarees are removable, and Patch giggles so when he undresses the Minion as his feet are attached to his dungarees. Really, this does tickle Patch. I should have made the goggle strap a little tighter, and the dungarees straps but this just means that Patch's Minion has straps that cross at the back


The wool was purchased from the local (cheaper) old fashioned haberdashery and fabric shop, as opposed to the dreamy and pricey wool shop. After all, this is a child's toy and not one going to be cuddled next to a oh so soft baby's cheek. Surprisingly, my selection of cheaper wool is soft and can happily be cuddled next to Patch's still oh so soft cheeks. The wool is all James C Brett - the yellow is Supreme Baby DK in an inspiring colourway SNG15, the blue and grey are DK with merino DM8 and DM10 respectively, and the black is pure merino DK in PM9.

I did have fun with this make, busily crocheting in the sunny garden, at the beach and sitting in our dear friend's sister's castle. And have decided that a crochet toy gives a nicer finish than a knit. Somehow more sturdy.

I am hoping to show you something other than a toy make next time... I'm sure I have been doing other things...

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