Crazy Knitting, Emmas Room and a Fox

Yesterday I went on a Crazy Knitting workshop at New Mills Gallery. It was so much fun and is proving rather addictive but then show me a craft that isn't. Firstly we had to pick different wools from the enormous pile in the middle of the table. We then cut a strip of each one and knotted them end to end to get one long piece of ever changing wool. Then we just started to knit! When we felt like it we then cast off to the last stitch, turned the knitting, picked stitches up down the side and started knitting again. This was the piece that I had at the end of the afternoon.

Of course when I got home it couldn't be put down so I kept adding more bits. Here is one side of the knitting......

..and here is the other.

I shall keep on going with this piece or maybe start another! I would like to add in some crochet to it as well bringing in extra textures and stitches. Its a great way of knitting, very relaxing and rule free.

A while ago I finished the last few pieces for Emmas bedroom for Pickett Hill but never got round to blogging the photos so here they are.

The cupboard bed.

The pictures for the wall.

The doll trunk.

The pieces in this kit were so tiny, the beautiful brass hinges, handle and lock.

Lastly I just wanted to share a photograph of a drawing of a fox that Elliot did at school. I love it so very much. I am partial to a good fox picture and this really made me smile.

The Smallest Department Store

I was too quick to shout SPRING last week, we woke up to snow the next day! So Birchwood is on the shelf waiting for the season to turn. So I looked around for what I fancied working on and Cynthia Howe's Department Store in a Baby House shouted my name!

The first thing I did was wallpaper. The hardest part of this task was deciding which wallpaper to use in which shop, and before that deciding which shop to put where in the Baby House. The choice of wallpapers was unbelievable.

It took a bit of fiddling to get the wallpaper in around the light fittings.

The middle of the top row of drawers opens into a little writing desk.

The rooms that are usually landings with stairs in Baby Houses are going to be elevators.

Starting at the top and working left to right the shops are going to be.......

Dress Shop

Elevator shaft

Jewellery Shop

Perfume Shop - look at those beautiful bottles along the top of the wallpaper.

Hat Shop

Flower Shop

Tea Room

I spent far too long deciding where to put which department. I always think of the Baby Houses as real buildings and how they would work. I most definitely did not want the Tea Room on the same floor as either the Dresses or the Hats, imagine buying a beautiful gown and then realising it smells of food! Also working along the same lines I didn't want the perfume Shop next to the tea room - what is that beautiful scent ?? chocolate cake ??? I wanted the Tea Room and the Flower shop on the ground floor because they need to be where passing folk can nip in without having to negotiate the rest of the store. So you see, I spent FAR too long thinking this through!

Then I started on the furniture and once I had started I couldn't stop. The kits are just amazing. I have never seen such tiny details, the laser cutting is incredible. The down side of this is there a lot of very thin fragile pieces - some of which I did break but fortunately managed to fix, apart from the bench from the hat shop which needs some serious first aid!

Here are the pieces from the Tea Room.

Here is the furniture from the Dress Shop - the cabinet hasn't got its front on yet.

Here is the furniture from the Jewellery Shop.

Here is the furniture from the Perfume Shop

Now onto the furniture from the Hat Shop.

Then the furniture from the Flower Shop.

It is all ready to paint now and add the trims and mirrors and so on. I cannot wait to then start making stock for all the shops. I have no idea how I am going to manage the dresses and hats let alone the tea pot to go in the Tea Room!

I have also been working on a few Lydia Pickett pieces. There is always something for Pickett Hill half built on my craft table. This last few weeks it has been Emma's Toy Kitchen and the Benches to go in the porch.

This is the tall bench to go against the house wall.

This is the lower bench to go against the side of the porch that is open. Both benches need their cushions, this will test my sewing skills!

The Betterleys have just released the last three kits in the Lydia Pickett Series. It is sad in a way as I have loved looking forward to what would be next. Although I still have a lots of the kits still to build so it is not going to be over for sometime yet.

An Utterly Betterley Week

This week has been a dream of building Betterley kits! I am really getting on with the Xmas Hutch as the 1st December is nearly here. I have been sat in front of a roaring fire looking out at the snow outside and sprinkling glitter - sigh - wonderful!

Here is the hutch in all its glory. It needs a little work on the hinges but is so nearly there.

The icicles are magical!

I have also been working on some Lydia Pickett kits and have finished a few. Here is the bathroom screen, laundry tote and some artwork for the walls.

Then onto Emmas bedroom shelf. It is ready to pop the things on the shelf.

The little lamb pull toy is just gorgeous. Here it is on a ten pence piece so you can see how small it is! Also the gold 'E' for Emma!

This is Emmas dolls bed as featured in the story that comes with Emmas bedroom. It is so tiny and cute, I cannot wait to put it in her room.

Lastly but most definitely not least because this kit really was a dream to do. No Lydia yet though you will have to wait for her!

You can't really see it but there is a wonderful rug inside - I just love the little touches.