Thursday 15 March 2012

What's taking so long?...

You must all be wondering what is going
 on with the Beautiful Blogger Blanket of 2012? 
The winner was announced...
(hurrah for Barbina :)).. 
and the squares have all been shown... 
So what's the hold up? Why isn't 
the blanket finished and being shown
 to you all?

Well...this is where all the squares have 
been staying for the last few weeks... 


Would you like a peak or two?.....







In the last week or so there has been 
 a lot of this going on...


and some of this...


and more of this....


....as I tried to give all the squares a
a similar edging which I could then 
use to sew them together more easily....
  
I also wanted them to have an edging
 so that each square 'stood out' as 
individual squares rather than all 
merging together...


Eventually I had lots of these...

(This photo WILL NOT stay the right 
way up...sorry!)

Spread out they looked like this...
(I have to put this on large... they are so scrumptious)!


 and this...


and this..


(my hand slipped on the colour button as
 I was playing with arty effects - and I 
liked the way it looked)! 

Sewing squares together of different sizes, textures and tensions has been quite a challenge... an enjoyable challenge... there has been lots of sewing... a bit of unpicking... then more sewing... but I am getting there.  Of course, if the squares were all the same size I could just put them into Picnik to plan it out and make a lovely collage like this... 


..but that wouldn't be as much fun would it?

So for now...here are some gorgeously gratuitous
shots of the squares on my table last week...





I am in hooky, squarey heaven! x

PS:  As you know, Picnik is closing on 19th April....causing me much consternation as I have really enjoyed using... luckily a lovely lady called Jennifer at Finding My Way in Texas has found a replacement... it has a simlilar name, similar capabilities, similar user friendliness... no collage yet, but it is coming... and it is called Picmonkey
Thanks for finding it Jennifer! 







Tuesday 13 March 2012

The final BBB 2012 Squares post!


A beautiful little package...

a sweet card and 6 squares from 
Marinke in Holland... you might know 
her as 'Wink' of 'A Creative Being' 


Look at this set of 6 beautiful 
squares that Marinke so beautifully 
packaged...and they smell as 
gorgeous as they look!

How did you do that Marinke?


Can you let me know which cotton
 you used Marinke?  The colours 
are really zingy and fresh.. they go
 together perfectly though... Can you
 imagine a whole blanket of these? 


 I love this orange...it looks edible!






Absolutely gorgeous Marinke! 
Thank you so much for joining in! 

Well I am pretty sure that I have posted 
photos of all of the squares that were sent
 in for the BBB of 2012.. and I have tried 
to include links to all of the patterns... 
if you would like to review them all 
together, take a peak at the page 
(top right) where they are all together....

Do let me know if I haven't included 
your squares! 

Thank you all so much for joining in and 
making this blanket so lovely... the 
sewing up is almost at an end...
it has taken me FAAAAARRRRR longer
 than I ever predicted, but it really is 
a labour of love... and I'll be showing
 you some pictures of it coming together
 in the next couple of days... 



Monday 12 March 2012

Ummm...I may have used the wrong word when I said penultimate!


My last post was called the 
'Penultimate' BBB 2012 Squares Post... 
It seems I used the wrong word as 
I thought that meant there were 2 
more after that one... are you following? 


In fact THIS is the penultimate BBB 
2012 squares post and the last ever 
squares post (for this year)will be 
tomorrow!  So sorry for the confusion....

Charlotte sent her 3 large squares all the way 
from York, South Carolina in the U.S.A....
she has her own blog called, 
'Charlotte's Web Page' 


The first square is very appropriate to 
our BBB 2012.. it is a crochet 
peace sign from a pattern found here...    
The second is called, ' Framed Church Windows' 
and the free pattern is here...


The third square is from Papillon Gold blog. 


I had never seen any of Charlotte's squares 
which is amazing considering I am addicted 
to crochet square patterns.....such a lovely 
feeling when a new one comes along! 

All 3 were made using a cotton yarn called, 
'I Love This Cotton' which Charlotte found at 

Thanks so much for joining in with the 
BBB 2012 Charlotte! 


Sunday 11 March 2012

The Penultimate Squares post for the BBB 2012!

These squares came to us all the way from Austin,Texas.  AJ The Purple was another of the special requests from the Wishlist post  all the way back in January.  
Velma of Made by Velma suggested AJ.  

AJ's blog is lovely...uplifting, positive, full of crafty loveliness.. and she sent us 6 beautiful squares..


AJ started with this granny square...


This green and white large square is from a pattern called Freesia from here...




Then there are 3 co-ordinating Flower Granny 
Squares from a free pattern on Ravelry here...


Finally a huge square which sadly is too big to 
put in the blanket.. so sorry AJ, but it would 
be out on it's own at this stage, so with your permission, I will send it to Barbina as an
extra treat.  

The pattern for this one is called, 
'Enough Love to Go Around'.. what an appropriate name for a square for the Beautiful Blogger Blanket! 

AJ blogged about the squares she made here... 

...and she also sells on Etsy!  


Thanks so much for sending your squares AJ... 
and thanks to you Velma, for suggesting we 
invite AJ to join in... only one more 
post of BBB 2012 squares to go....

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Deb sent us amazing squares from A World of Imagination

You have surely seen Deb's blog - 
Deb is an incredibly talented crafter.  She designs 
and makes beautiful cards, does scrap-booking 
and finds time to crochet!  
Look at the gorgeous card Deb made and sent...


Deb sent me a lovely little package of squares, 
which included a set of buttons... not just any buttons... these are made of lovely scented soap! 


Have a peak at the edges of the squares.... 


The patterns are all from the book that many of
you have used to make your squares for the BBB 2012.... '200 Crochet Blocks' by Jan Eaton.

The first square (#16 - Waterlilly) 
Oh my goodness - how lovely! 


The second square #17 - Alternate Bobbles.


 The third square is #172 - Interlocking Stripes.


Deb says that this fourth square was her own 
design, made by just using a variety of stitches.
I love these colours together.

Thanks for joining in with the BBB 2012 Deb!
.... and thanks for the card and soaps x

Fee from Chipper Nelly

The lovely Fee from Chipper Nelly is so creative, 
and is currently holding an inquest into the death 
of a favourite chicken on her blog .. 
(IT WAS NOT THE PIGLET!)



Even Fee's labels were gorgeous! 


Shhh... let's take a sneaky peak...


Fee blogged about her squares here.... 
You will probably be surprised to hear that she 
hasn't been crocheting for very long!


Fee hasn't told me which pattern she used... 
can you let me know please Fee then I will 
update this post....ta! 
(updated to add - Fee let me know that this pattern is from a 
lovely website which is new to me here...)


The second square has an appliqued crochet 
heart hand sewn onto it... so pretty! 
(Edited to add... The pattern is from here  - Thanks Fee!)

Fee used Debbie Bliss Eco yarn to make both squares... I love her sense of colour... the combinations are scrumptious...

Fee sells her gorgeous vintage designs blocks at 

Thanks so much for taking part in the BBB 2012 Fee.

ps:  Free the pig...it wasn't him!
(edited to add... apparently the pig was LOCKED IN with the chicken.. the case may be a foregone conclusion....gulp!)