Irish Craft Festival 2014 this Sunday

Items made by Fiona Makes a stall holder at the Craft Festival 2014

There is a craft festival on Sunday 2nd November 2014 10am - 5pm at Royal Marine Hotel, Dunlaoghaire, Co Dublin.

This fair is free and has 60 stalls of great craft including jewellery, home accessories, hair accessories, candles, handbags and cakes etc.  All the items for sale are handmade and you will have the opportunity to meet the makers.

Wednesday's Wishes - Handmade Christmas Decorations

Well it is getting towards "that time of year" again, so I thought I should start getting festive.  I have to admit I am a sucker for Christmas decorations, especially handmade or vintage ones.  So today's theme is handmade Christmas decorations.

These absolutely gorgeous doggies are from MisHelenEous on Etsy.  Helen makes a lot of dogs with their Christmas coats on, including beagles, fox terriers and schnauzers and they would make a perfect give for a dog lover.  All decorations are handsewn and Helen ships worldwide.

 

This beautiful Christmas tree centrepiece is from Koelnschaetze on Etsy.  Michaela makes different sized and coloured Christmas trees and reindeer, together with decorations that would be suitable for weddings.  The attention to detail on these items is amazing and they can be shipped worldwide.

This little Scandinavian house decoration is from LittleOwlBoutique2 on Etsy.  Yasmine has a wide selection of other Christmas decorations, made from fabric and wood, together with gifts for other occasions.

This gorgeous wooden ornament is from Etchythings on Etsy.  It has been made using a rubber stamp, which Etchythings make and it is their speciality.  There are several types of ornaments available and a multitude of stamps you can buy, to make your own artworks.

This very festive deer gift tag is the work of Wendy from MulberryMuse on Etsy.  I know it is not really classed as a decoration, but I loved it!  Wendy makes a lot of magnificent cards and gift tags with a lovely vintage flavour, featuring Jane Austen, Marie Antoinette and high tea items, for all different occasions.

This flock of robins is available from Acasadoguaxinim on Etsy.  Rita has a whole hoast of other felt decorations and wreaths, together with exquisite mobiles, fabrics purses and cushions.  All decorations are handsewn and Rita ships worldwide.

 This little sheep looks like he needs to be adopted by you and is made by Lauren from feltindevon.  Lauren has a lot of other micro festive animal ornaments, such as hedgehogs, dogs and pigs, for sale.  She also has non-festive animals and ships worldwide.

Well I hope this post has made you feel that you may need a few more decorations to make your home seem more festive  .... until next time.

It is raining cats and dogs ...

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but it is raining so hard here that we can't see our nice view and it's cold and windy too.  However I have a pot of soup simmering, fresh bread made and it's warm inside, so what is happening outside doesn't really matter.

We are well into Autumn now and the temperatures are dropping, so I thought I would try and find some free knitting and crochet patterns.  These are what I came up with.

This one looks so warm and it uses some broomstick crochet, so I don't think it will take long.  Pattern here.

This one is knitted and I love the handwarmers. Pattern here.

Another crochet one and I like the lace type stitch towards the bottom.  Pattern here.

I have never knitted or crocheted a big garment like a jumper, but if I had the patience this jacket would be superb.

Pattern here.

The patterns on the Garnstudio (Drops yarn ) site are really nice and very modern too.  I have only bought their cotton yarn so far and am looking forward to trying some of their wool and alpaca soon.

I bought the cotton yarn from a company called Love Knitting.  Their site is very good and the order got dispatched the next day, but for some reason it took over a week to get from the UK to me.  They send the order for free if you spend over €50, so you save quite a bit on postage, if you can make up a big order.

The Drops alpaca yarn is on special at 25% off  until 31/12/2014 and some of the range is available from Love Knitting.  The alpaca yarn is also available from Winniethewoolwagon.com (in Ireland) and Woolwarehouse.co.uk (in UK).

Well I hope it is not too cold where you are and this gives you some inspiration.

Wednesday's Wishes - Using Recycled Items in Crafts

One thing that is dear to my heart, is reusing things to make other things ie. recycling.  There are quite a few moth-eaten wool jumpers in Australia that have been deliberately shrunk and turned into toys, by moi.

So today's post is about fabulous crafters that use recycling in their work.

This beautiful heart shaped garland is from PeonyandThistle on Etsy.  Dorothy turns all those pretty paper items, that may have ended up in the recycling, into bunting, garlands, confetti, cards and notebooks.  The shop also sells vintage maps, textiles, china and prints.

These fabulous cufflinks are from Bookity on Etsy.   Lou makes a lot of jewellery and decorations from unwanted vintage maps and books.  She is also able to customise the map jewellery to show a certain place, as appropriate for the recipient, on request.

These great seasonal snowflake coasters are from TheFeminineTouch on Etsy.  They are made from a recycled woollen scarf and are double thickness, so are very practical.  Sandra also sells lots of beautiful knitted items made from new yarn, such as tea cosies, cowls and gloves.

This fantastic campervan keyring/bag tag is from MojoSewSew on Etsy.  It is handcut and sewn from recycled vinyl and leather, which I think is very clever.  Jo has a variety of other tags, cushions and bags for sale.

This great cushion is from SublimeSurprises on Etsy.  It is made from an old sugar sack and trimmed with red and white striped vintage fabric.  Sharon makes bags in various styles and cushions from vintage coffee and sugar sacks, together with gadget sleeves from new fabric.

Well I hope that this post might make you think of turning an old item into something new and not throwing it out.  Happy creating!

Wednesday's wishes - Crochet Toy Patterns

I have to admit when I started to use the www (a long long time ago) I never would have believed it would be so useful for crafting.  But boy was I wrong - I think we all, as crafters, get so much inspiration, information and admiration for other crafter's work, from it.

This week's theme is crochet toy patterns.  The skill that the crafter's, that I have featured, have is amazing and truly inspirational.  I urge you to look at these shops and buy a pattern or two - don't forget Christmas is only 11 weeks away!

This pattern for Flam the fox is from Sonja at Sonspopkes.com.  The attention to detail is superb and he looks dressed for winter with his scarf in position.  Pattern is available here.  Sonja has many other cute animal patterns.

This great doll pattern is from Lydia at Lalylala.com.  I love this one, because it has a pocket that you can put a baby doll inside, like a kangaroo. Pattern is available here.  Lydia has 13 other doll patterns available in all different styles.

This colourful puppy pattern is from Mari-Liis at lilleliis on Etsy.  The pattern is available here.  Mari-Liis has a variety of other animal and doll patterns and they are all cute.

This very suavely dressed dachshund is from Teri at TeriCrewsCrochet on Etsy.  The pattern is available here.  Terri has over 50 other toy patterns in her shop, as well as appliques, blankets and Christmas ones.

This little car rattle pattern is from Marika at ByMarika on Etsy.  I think any baby would love this one as they would be able to hold onto the wheels, while rattling. The pattern is available here. Marika has lots of small baby toy patterns, as well as the finished articles for sale.

This seasonal well dressed snowman is from Lisa at TeddyWings on Etsy.  The pattern is available here.  Lisa has over 20 other toy patterns, as well as a range of lovey blanket patterns too.

This brightly coloured dog pattern is from Jelena at Jelenateperik on Etsy.  The pattern is quite unique, in that the body is concertinaed and also brightly coloured.  I think a child would love the construction of this toy.  The pattern is available here.  Jelena has a bunch of other patterns and finished goods too.

I hope this has given you some good toy crochet ideas for gifts or your own decoration.

Autumn Project Pumpkins

Another requirement for my Autumn project is pumpkins.  I don't think the finished scale of this project will be quite right.  I can just see the mushrooms being bigger than the pumpkins etc.

I have been searching and have come up with some talented crafters' patterns.

This little pumpkin is from Talking Crochet and the pattern is here.

I love this one that is knitted from a varigated yarn.  It is from Universal Yarns and the pattern is here.

This cute one is from Planet June and the pattern is here.

This tiny one is from Repeatcrafterme and the pattern is here.

I am hoping that one of these patterns will work for me and you may like to try one for yourselves in your own Autumn project.

Autumn project progress

I am beginning to wonder if my Autumn project will be finished this Autumn -  I must get it done !  The trouble is that I have started some other projects that have to be done by a certain date - I should not be stressed, craft is for fun!

Another item that is required for the project are mushrooms/toadstools and below are the patterns I have come up with from various talented crafters.

This great pattern from Annaboo's House is available here and I just love all the different colours.

Another great in the more traditional colours from Loopsan and the pattern is here.

Petite mushrooms from Amiamour and the pattern is here.

A great varigated colour mushroom from Diyods and the pattern is here.

Anyway I had better get mushrooming.

Craft shops information required

As a fairly new resident of Ireland, I have found it very difficult to find a good allround craft shop, either physically or online.

I would like to compile lists of craft shops in Ireland, including online, in the categories of woolcraft, fabric/quilting and general.

I would also like to compile the same type of lists for the UK and other parts of Europe, as they often send goods within the EU.

I need help with the contents with these lists.  If you know of any craftshops that should go on these lists, please send details of their name, address, telephone number, either in the comments section or send me an email.

Your help would be appreciated.

Wednesday's Wishes - Autumn Patterns

As you may have guessed from previous posts I love Autumn, mainly the colours and the natural beauty of the season.  This post is full of patterns and ideas that you might want to try, now that the weather is cooler (I know this won't necessarily apply to my Aussie readers).

This fantastic crochet square is a pattern from Pamelaspatterns on Etsy.  It is unusual, in that it uses a bit of broomstick crochet (something I have always wanted to try).  I love the brightness of the sunflower colours. Pamela has more patterns in her shop, including lots of great blankets.

This nice print is from PureJoyPrintables on Etsy.  Lorand has an interesting concept, in that you buy the print file and then print it yourself, so you don't have wait while it's in the mail.  He has lots of files available, including some great Christmas ideas.

This delightful Autumn fairy doll pattern is from Noialand on Etsy.  This shop has over 100 fabulous patterns, with many different animals and dolls made from felt.  The patterns are instant download, so you don't have to wait.

This beautiful embroidered owl is a pattern from Sewjenaissance on Etsy.  The Autumn owl is one of over 60 patterns offered by Jen in her shop.

This very warm looking Autumn slouch hat is a pattern from Swellamy on Etsy.  Amy has 100's of other patterns, for other hats, applique, scarves etc in her shop and they are instant download.

This very nice bookmark pattern is from Rumpelfeltskin on Etsy.  Alison has lots of interesting wooden items in her store, as well as a few more patterns.

This great knitted seed stitch beret pattern is from Ebruk on Etsy.  There is an enormous amount of other knitting patterns available from this shop, as well as finished goods.

I hope this has given you inspiration to use all those Autumn colours you might have in your stash.

Favourite Craft Blogs - Australia

Even though I have now lived in Ireland for over a year, I still like to know what is happening in the craft world in Australia.  One way of doing that, is reading several blogs, that have regular posts.  These are my favourite ones:

• Retro Mummy is a fantastic blog written by Corrie.  She is a Mum to 6 children under 8 and is supercreative.  She often blogs about wholesome cooking (often gluten-free), crafting and being a superbusy Mum.
• One Crafty Mumma is a fabulous blog written by Melissa.  She lives in Tasmania and is a Mum to 2 children.  Melissa comes up with some great craft ideas.  At the moment she is working on handmade Christmas gifts for her whole family and she has also started a PenPal group.
• little woollie is a great blog written by Julie.  She is a Mum to 3 boys, who has recently started an online yarn shop.  Julie has lots of great ideas for crochet and also has a fab vegetable garden.
• Two Little Banshees is a creative blog written by Kate.  She is a Mum to 4 girls and is into all sorts of crafts.  Kate started quilting a while ago and now has a book published, detailing her own designs - Strip Savvy.  She also does a lot of clothes sewing, including shirts for her husband.
• Foxs Lane is a very pictorial blog written by Kate.  She is a Mum to 3 girls and is an organic farmer.  This blog has lots of great photos of an Australian farm and beautiful countryside.  Kate does crochet and knits lots of socks too.

Well I hope that you will make a cuppa, sit a while and check out these talented ladies' blogs.

Halloween Crochet Projects

Well it looks like our beautiful indian summer weather has gone and we are faced with lots of rain over the coming week.  So I thought I would track down some Halloween projects that you could do over the weekend.
I must admit I am not a big fan of celebrating Halloween, but some of the following projects are cute, in a spooky kind of way.

This little spider looks pretty easy to do.  It is from Julie at Kundhi.com and the pattern is here.

These cute cup cozies are from the USA Yarn company Red Heart and the pattern is here.  A lot of USA patterns use worsted weight yarn, which is equivalent to our "aran" weight.  I generally use DK weight yarn, so that is what I would use to do these patterns, with a 4mm hook.  The finished items would come out a bit smaller, but the tension would be correct ie. the crochet wouldn't be too loose.

I love this one, especially the ghost on the end hanging upside down.  The pattern is from Talking Crochet and is available here.

This not so ugly bat is from Shala at Shala Beads and the pattern is here.

 

 This quite pretty skull garland is from the yarn company Red Heart and the pattern is here.

I think these ghost coasters would look good hanging from a row of chain as a garland.  This another Red Heart pattern and is available here.

This adorable set contains the sweetest black cat and is a pattern available from kseniadesign on Etsy here.  It is an instant download, so you can use straight away, once you have made payment.

I hope that I have inspired you to use up all your small amounts of yarn on some seasonal decorations.

Wednesday's Wishes - Irish Woolcrafters

There is a whole lot of sheep in Ireland and I think it makes the country fields seem right, being dotted with sheep.

There is also a lot of people that use wool for their crafting in this country and today I would like to show you a few of them, that have shops on Etsy.

Firstly we have a fab pair of fingerless gloves from SophiesKnitStuff .  These look so warm and comfortable and I might need a pair myself, to keep my fingers warm when blogging. Sophie has all sorts of useful winter woollies such as hats, cowls, shawls, scarves, cosies and ear warmers. She does custom orders and ships worldwide.

This great little doggie coat is from IrishSmallKnits.  I don't have a dog, but if I did, one of these dog coats would surely keep it warm.  Jane does a variety of patterns in different yarns and sizes.  She does custom orders and ships worldwide.

This adorable babies hat is from BabiesRepublic. It is one of a multitude of styles (all supercute) that are available from this shop.  Justyna also does wraps and blankets and ships worldwide.

This is one of many personalised Santa's stockings available from SantasSockCentral.  There are lots of other designs available, as well as normal knitted socks and patterns. Gigi does custom orders and ships worldwide.

This beautiful little matinee set is available from AnkasCrochet.  Anka makes a lot of toys, baby rugs, hats, tea cosies and headbands. She does custom orders and ships worldwide.

This very pretty ornate tea knitted tea cosy pattern is from DathuilDesigns.  Teresa has a variety of patterns for tea cosies, handwarmers and cushions in very ornate designs. The patterns are an instant download once you make payment.

This colourful scarf/cowl is from craftynannie.  Anne makes a large variety of scarves, hats, cowls and greeting cards. She also ships worldwide.

Well I hope this gives you a warming feeling, as the temperatures begin to drop.