Friends Challenge Completed, Ta-daa!

Gosh! It's been a funny old day weather wise. We started off with blue sky and sunshine and now we're ending the day with gale force winds, snow, hail and rain! Brrrr, one things been constant though, it's been freezing all day.

I did manage to take some photos of my finished Friends Challenge while the sun was out though.

I've completed two curtain tie backs to go with the pelmet.

I can't tell you how pleased I am to get something made for my home.

For someone who sews and crafts, I seem to have very little in my own home that I have actually made.

It's a bit like, when someone asks you what you have done all day, and you don't really have anything to tell them, but you know you haven't stopped all day long! Strange!

Anyway, Lesley and Sarah I'm looking forward to seeing your tie backs at the end of the month ; ) No pressure then!

Now then, I think we've had enough texture and tone over the last couple of posts, so lets have some colour.

Here are my little crochet squares for my granny blanket.

I think I've got enough of these now.

I'm just working on the larger squares, and they seem to take a lot more effort. I'm definitely a little square kinda gal!

It's not going to be a huge double bed blanket, just a snuggling on the sofa size.

Did you guess what it was?

Ok. No more teasing. I shall reveal what I've made with all those treasured pieces of French lace and crochet doilies. Although I must tell you, I did enjoy your comments, you did make me giggle!

Just to explain first, this months friends challenge was set by Lesley. The challenge is to make a curtain tie back, using anything we liked, fabric, felt, wool, yarns, beads, tassel's, wire, melted plastic etc etc.

I sat and pondered. I didn't really need or want any tie backs. Maybe I could make some for my bedroom curtains. Then inspiration hit me. When we moved into this house, well over a year ago, I bough some very cheap (£4) cream curtains. I didn't have any old ones that would fit the new windows, so these would tide us over until I had the time and money to do the job properly. I had to shorten them quite a lot and decided to make a pelmet with the fabric I had cut off. So I stitched together the lengths of fabric, but that was as far as I got, the barely started pelmet was consigned to the loft.

This is what my bedroom window has looked like for over a year. Yes you can plainly see a pelmet rail, kindly put up by my lovely Dad, waiting forlornly to be dressed. It has looked very unfinished until now.

Here's my sketch book page with my idea for a lacy tie back, which as I'm sure by now you have surmised, has turned into a lacy pelmet.

What do you think? I'm a little miffed that the light shines through and shows the seam up the middle of the pelmet, but it was either that or have two seams either side. Apart from that though I'm thrilled with the outcome.

All the vintage French lace and most of the crochet doilies came from a box purchased at our local auction, for £8.

I've decided that although I didn't want tie backs, they really would finish off the window. So I best get cracking.

Thank you Lesley for setting this challenge. I started off not wanting to do it and now have a unique window dressing and one of my many unfinished projects finally completed into the bargain!

Hello. How are you? Good? Yes, me too. A bit of a stiff neck, I must have slept funny, but nothing to complain about.

I have the day off work today. Hooray! So I've been out and about this morning down at our little market. Eight stalls outside lining the main street and three in the Market Hall. I know, it's all hustle and bustle here isn't it? Two of them were selling slippers and one, walking sticks, not exactly everyday necessities but we do have a rather good veg stall and a little van selling fish. In the summer there are far more stalls of course. Now though, in the middle of winter we are happy with the few stalls we have, especially when the weather is bad and you think of how far they've had to travel to get to us.

The photos are of my latest project.

This is a long over due project.

It was started probably well over a year ago.

It was this months 'Friends Challenge' set by Lesley that made me forage in the loft to retrieve it.

There has been much placing and pinning.

Lots of sewing.

Some embroidery.

And the odd swear word.

And in my best Australian accent, "Can you tell what it is yet?"