more granny patchwork. ..

So this week I have made some more squares for my patchwork granny cushion.

I used the same patterns as last time.
Its amazing how different they look, in two different colour ways!

So now I need to do the bit I dislike, sewing in the ends. You'd think I'd do it as I go along to make it less painstaking, but no I put it off!!

Then it's joining the squares together. I need to decide whether I sew them or crochet together?
Then I need to decide what to do for the back? Whether I just use a full piece of Denim, but that would require sewing skills? or I continue the mix of denim patches and crochet squares??
Hmmmm, decisions, decisions!!

We purchased some new cookery books when we were on holiday. A coffee one, which we just had to have!!

And today, we made our first recipe out of it!!

Coffee and Walnut cake - yummy!!!

Had some lovely flowers from hubby this week, the smell of the Lillies manage to  perfume the whole room!

MOVIES
Captain America

"Captain America: The First Avenger" will focus on the early days of the Marvel Universe when Steve Rogers volunteers to participate in an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America. As Captain America, Rogers joins forces with Bucky Barnes and Peggy Carter to wage war on the evil HYDRA organization, led by the villainous Red Skull.

***1/2 small, skinny lad, becomes big hero
The Next Three Days

Life seems perfect for John Brennan (Russell Crowe) until his wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks) is arrested for a murder she says she didn't commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. With the rejection of their final appeal, Lara becomes suicidal and John decides there is only one possible, bearable solution: to break his wife out of prison. Refusing to be deterred by impossible odds or his own inexperience, John devises an elaborate escape plot with the help of an ex con (Liam Neeson) and plunges into a dangerous and unfamiliar world, ultimately risking everything for the woman he loves.

***** didn't expect to enjoy this! But I RECOMMEND, great action, with emotion, and lots of twists and turns!

Granny patch cushion

So this week its been back to reality and back to work. The first day back is always full of dread, and wishing the relaxation and free time could continue, but the week in reality hasnt been too painful.

This week I have been making some little crochet squares to go with my denim pocket.
I have chosen patterns out of the 200 crochet blocks book.

Granny Stripes

Circle in a Square

Fretwork

Chocolate Box

Old Vienna

They were enjoyable to make and not too taxing. When I started to lay them out though, I wasn't too sure whether they were a bit too mis-matched.

So I started to do matching blue edges to tie them all together.

This has improved it but I'm thinking I need to do so plain patches of denim, so the mix of fabric and yarn is more obvious...

Any opinions or suggestions would be welcome...

MOVIES

PARANORMAN

In the comedy thriller, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

***1/2 the wierd kid prevails
BRAVE

With a courageous and impetuous heroine leading the way, Disney Pixar sets out on yet another extraordinary journey—this time across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland in "Brave." The film features Kelly Macdonald as the voice of Merida, a skilled archer and the daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

****disney pixar rules again

Hampshire Holiday...

This week we escaped. From work, home and all the stress.. We went down to Hampshire to stay with my Mother.
Weather wise it was a week of two halves. The first being very warm, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. The second, a 10 degree drop in temperature, cloudy, heavy rain showers and strong winds. We planned our week accordingly and had some lovely days out, and the relaxation we both craved.

We arrived on Monday at lunch time, and after a catch-up and food, got out as soon as possible to enjoy the sun. We were taken to Hayling Island for a lovely beach walk.
We stopped off at the Mad Hatters Tea Party cafe, which in the write up sounded like a fun, themed drinking spot, it didn't quite live up to its name though!

I love the sea, whatever the weather, I find it relaxing and enthralling to watch.

It was warm, with a slight sea breeze, and so lovely to be out enjoying the fresh air, instead of being stuck indoors as we usually are.

Tuesday was a glorious day. Hot and sunny. We chose to go to Exbury Gardens. These are known for their amazing blooms of Rhodedendrons and Azaleas. With the bad, long winter, the flowers were a little late in developing, but it still was a beautiful sight. I can imagine if you get the timing right, and visit at its peak it would be an amazing mass of colour.
We went on the little steam train, which took us around the north ends of the garden.

Stopped for a picnic in the lovely grounds.

And strolled around looking at the beautiful blooms...

An enjoyable, relaxing day, surrounded by beauty and nature, well worth a visit.

Wednesday we wanted an easier day after our previous days walking, so we took a trip to Wickham, unfortunately I forgot to photograph anything on this day, obviously relaxing too much! But it is a quaint village which has lots of lovely little gift shops, a great place to idle around, browsing the nic-nacs and goodies. We stopped for coffee, plus I managed to pick up a couple of books in the charity store, before heading back for lunch. In the afternoon, to avoid the bad weather we went for a game of bowling. Surprisingly I managed to win both games, I can get the odd strike, but usually i'm inconsistant!

Thursdays weather didn't look too bad so we risked the outdoors, with a visit to Amberley Working museum. This holds historical pieces from the industrial heritage.

There was another little trip on a steam train, plus old busses to save our legs, to get around the estate.

There was the telecommunications building.



The electricity hall.

There were 'Trades and Tools', a 'printing workshop' a 'pottery', a 'wireless exhibition' and a 'railway exhibition' and many more sections.

We then went to find the actual village of Amberley, which was the most idylic, 'chocolate box' village, which was full of thatched cottages.

Friday morning was another leisure day, and the morning I spent reading, something I really enjoy, and was a complete novelty, once I get my head stuck in a book it's hard to get me to put it down!

In the afternoon, we took a trip to Rowlands castle to see Handmade Studios. This is a delightful studio with a collection of little rooms, filled with delightful handmade goodies.

.

This also includes my little crocheted birdies, which were in the window, peeking out at the sunshine.

The intention was to meet with the owner Linda, unfortunately she couldnt get back in time, but I did have a lovely chat with Beverley Harris, who has her own studio in one of the rooms. It was a lovely visit and to be able to see the contemporary collection of textiles.

We stopped off on the way back to visit my great aunt who lived close by.

On our final day, we wanted a last trip to see the sea. We went to nearby Lee-On-Solent. The sun stayed out for awhile, but boy was it windy.

There were plenty of people out and about enjoying the choppy seas. Wind-surfers, sail boats, kite surfers, gliders and jet skiers.

We had to stop off for refreshments of course, just to get a break from the relentless winds.

After a browse in a couple of gift stores, we made our way back to the car, via the beach, racing to stay ahead of the looming black clouds, and thankfully we beat the impending rain.

It was an extremely enjoyable week, just what we needed, but it just went too quickly as holidays do...

Pockets....

So last week I purchased some yarn on a whim, after reading another instalment of Attic24's blog. I love the whole mix of colours, so I thought I want me some of that.

It wasn't totally just a frivolous decision, as I had the idea in my head that i'd like to attempt some cushions and I needed some nicer yarn than just acrylic.
I've had this idea for ages that I wanted to combine the pocket of a pair of old jeans with crochet.

Only problem with this idea is it means I would have to sew round the pocket to adjoin the crochet, and I have a fear of sewing. But I won't let this hinder me, so its back to youtube to see how to blanket stitch!!
So I found an easy to follow tutorial, and found the stitch to be quite simple,  just need to keep the stitches at even lengths.

I had intended to work around the main back pocket, but after cutting it out, I ran into issues.

Firstly jeans pockets aren't square, they have a V at the base, plus even the straight edges aren't even straight! So after folding, pinning and pressing, re-folding and re-pressing, I decided that I was being a bit ambitious for a first attempt, so I switched to the tiny, square-ish, pocket that is tucked within the front pocket.
I stitched all round the denim square.

And then crocheted all round the square.

That is all I have done so far, as it takes longer, as i'm learning as I go.

I have the week off work now, and we're going down to Portsmouth area, to spend the week with my Mum. We are hoping the nice weather will continue so we can enjoy some days out :)


Movies
The Switch

Jennifer Aniston stars in this romantic comedy based on a short story by Jeffrey Eugenides. Desperate to have a baby before it is too late, 40-year-old singleton Kassie (Aniston) chooses the artificial insemination route and employs the services of suave sperm donor Roland (Patrick Wilson) despite the protestations of her best friend Wally (Jason Bateman). Wally, who has long been secretly in love with Kassie, gets drunk at Kassie's 'insemination party' and ends up accidentally spilling Roland's sample. In a panic, he replaces it with his own. Seven years later, when Kassie returns to New York with her son Sebastian (Thomas Robinson), Wally must finally face up to the consequences of his actions.

*** typical rom-com
The Fourth Kind

In 1972, a scale of measurement was established for alien encounters. When a UFO is sighted, it is called an encounter of the first kind. When evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with extraterrestrials, it is the third kind. The next level, abduction, is the fourth kind. This encounter has been the most difficult to document...until now. Structured unlike any film before it, "The Fourth Kind" is a provocative thriller set in modern-day Nome, Alaska, where-mysteriously since the 1960s-a disproportionate number of the population has been reported missing every year.

*** wierd

Butterflies are growing...

This week I have experimented with the Butterfly pattern to create a bigger version.
My next try did come out a little larger, but i found, although not very noticeable there was some gapping.

So on my next attempt I crocheted a triple stitch into every stitch in between. This made the wings a lot bigger and more elongated. But i'm not too happy with the centre still, as its too chunky especially the antennae.

I purchased some pink and peach multi-toned yarn, as I liked the way mixed coloured yarn worked up when I was making the birdies. I hadn't noticed it was a thicker yarn though, so had to make some adjustments to the pattern as I went along.

On my last go I chose to do double crochet stitch in each stitch instead. This gave more roundness to the wings, which I was much more happy with. But I still need to play around with centre to get it just right.

I've photographed the latest butterfly against the original small pattern, so you can see the size increase.

Movies

John Carter

Civil War vet John Carter is transplanted to Mars, where he discovers a lush, wildly diverse planet whose main inhabitants are 12-foot tall green barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, who is in desperate need of a saviour.

****1/2 thoroughly enjoyable (and I want a Mars dog)

Ice Age 4

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

****1/2 cant go wrong with an Ice Age film!

Spa's and Butterflies

I havent been able to hook up with 'Handmade Monday' for the last couple of weeks due to the trials + tribulations that life sometimes throws at us. I did manage a quick post in this time, if you'd like to see where my spring birdies have flown to.

I was given a special treat this Easter. As I work with chocolate, people don't like to give it to me as a present - thankfully! So as life has been quite difficult and stressfull at present my lovely hubby decided we needed a treat in the form of a spa day.
It was only a few miles away, and a quick trip on the train, but it was so lovely and relaxing, we felt like we could have been anywhere and felt like it was a proper trip away.
We checked in on Saturday night after work into a lovely little cosy room, with a big plump bed, with robes and slippers too...

After freshening up, we went down to the dining room, for our 3 course meal.

And then finished the night in the bar.

After a lovely breakfast, and checking out of the hotel, we were to spend the day in the leisure centre.

We did a full round of the sauna, steam room, swim and jacuzzi

We dried ourselves off as we had a treatment booked. A lovely, relaxing

massage, which was much needed, and we'd been looking forward too. I say relaxing, and mine truely was, but poor hubby took a bit of a pummeling, as his shoulders get so knotted and tense.

We stopped for a spot of lunch, before doing another round of the leisure facilities.



Its definately something we'd consider doing again, as taking some time out certainly did us the world of good.

Craft wise I have been continuing with the spring theme, this time working on Butterflies. They are based on the same method that I make my birds, but using more of a crochet flower rather than a granny circle. I read Maria's pattern on her blog, and gave it a go, the pattern was great and easy to follow.

I will use a similar idea but will experiment with the pattern as I want my Butterfly to be a little larger.

Movies

Bridesmaids

Comedy written by and starring Kristen Wiig as a hapless maid of honour struggling to keep things on an even keel in the lead up to her best friend's wedding. Annie (Wiig) is still reeling from the failure of her bakery business and the subsequent loss of her boyfriend and all her savings when her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), announces that she is engaged and wants Annie to take charge of her pre-wedding preparations. As if the responsibility of the role at such a tough time wasn't trying enough, Annie faces the small matter of dealing with Lillian's other bridesmaids - led by Helen (Rose Byrne) and Megan (Melissa McCarthy) - who have their own ideas on the kind of events befitting Lillian's final weeks as an unmarried woman. As a variety of mishaps, including mass food poisoning and a plane grounding, riddle Annie's attempts to help, she gradually finds herself usurped by Helen. But will her loyalty to Lillian pull her through in the end?

**1/2 vaguely amusing

Eat, Pray, Love

Liz Gilbert had everything a modern woman is supposed to dream of having - a husband, a house, a successful career - yet like so many others, she found herself lost, confused, and searching for what she really wanted in life. Newly divorced and at a crossroads, Gilbert steps out of her comfort zone, risking everything to change her life, embarking on a journey around the world that becomes a quest for self-discovery. In her travels, she discovers the true pleasure of nourishment by eating in Italy; the power of prayer in India, and, finally and unexpectedly, the inner peace and balance of true love in Bali.

** slow, self indulgent, very disappointing

Ghost Rider - Spirit of vengeance

Struggling to live with his flame-headed alter ego the Ghost Rider, Blaze is offered the chance to rid himself of his curse forever - but to do so he must defeat The Devil in a terrifying battle for survival.

***1/2  i've not seen 1st one, was hubbys choice, but most enjoyable

Red Riding Hood

Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.

*** Figure out who the werewolf is