A Basket of Bunnies +

Up here in my corner of Scotland the weather is still pretending it should be spring! Although there is a chilly wind and you wouldn't want to sit out there lol.

I had a bag of tulip bulbs that were sprouting (bought many months ago) and cos they were in the porch had started with a dusty mould on them. As they weren't squishy or anything I decided they could do 1) grow or 2) not grow! Now I don't know about you but putting my hands in cold, soggy soil is like dragging chalk across a blackboard and it squeaking....double shudder. But the bulbs needed to be planted before I had my own fungus farm, so with gritted teeth I got my trowel and put my gloves on. These would protect me from claggy soil (another shudder) I thought, but, have you ever tried putting in bulbs with thick, clumsy gloves on....well you can't. So in the end had to gingerly push said bulb into the hole, well they all got planted and then I rushed in to plunge my hands into hot water.....ohh the relief! If the little blighters don't come up I will dig them up and do a dance on them!!

Anyway, on the inside of my little cottage I've taken some pictures of a bunch of bunnies + 1. Who is the + 1 well it's a little monkey.....he's supposed to be a monkey, HH thought it was a bear and s-i-law half glanced up and said a hippo. (but what does he know, as you may remember, he's the one that sits on brand new cushions!) I thought he looked rather sweet so included him in the photo shoot as he would have felt left out and we can't be having pouty faces all day, now can we?

And here is Babs the Ballerina doing a ballet thingy with one leg! She has her admiring audience.

                                     Her little heart is sewn onto her leotard underneath her ballet skirt.

Well must get on, so cheery pip.

Frederick Bunny

Thanks tohttp://mcrafts-theblog.blogspot.com/I can see why I havn't been able to leave comments. So a BIG thank you for that.


Frederick Bunny has been popped over to my Etsy shop.

As he is knitted in fluffy wool he thinks he is a posh angora rabbit!

With his secret little heart. He is a bigger than the other rabbits that I've made. but every bit as cuddly!

This 'Quirky' cushion cover has been made with calico and cotton.

                                                  Close up of the little houses.

Also thanks to Wendy at  www.1stuniquegifts.co.uk/blog/who hosts a  blog forum every Monday where you can upload your blog onto her site and then have a nose at everybody else's craft work.

apologies

I am still having trouble commenting on some peoples blogs. Really sorry about this, I have tried numerous times to do so. Will keep trying, as I know how much comments mean to the recipient.

Alfred Rabbit

What a funny old winter we are having. Even up here at the top of mainland Scotland our tulip bulbs are making an appearance which is most unusual as we don't see them until everybody else's in Britain are dead and buried! (well that's an exaggeration I know but ours seem to be the last!) I just hope we don't suddenly get buried in snow like last year. Even the birds are calling at some unearthly hour in pitch darkness. Don't they know that spring chorus has to wait till spring!

Here is one of Samuel Rabbit's brothers (of which he has a lot as they are rabbits you know!) I've called him Albert as I like the old fashioned names.

He wanted a red jumper as it's nice and cheery and matches his blue trousers and shoes.

Here is his back view...he looks as tho he's just going to do a dance! Well he is a happy little chappie.

He also has a suprise under his jumper...a little heart. I think I will put them on all the bunnies as it adds a little something to them....and if they are presents what could be nicer. He is knitted with aran yarn which is 25% wool and measures approx 9" tall.

Just reading a book called 'Meet me at the Cupcake Cafe' showed the title to Head Honcho and he said cupcakes arn't big enough. So we came up with a new name for men.....Mug Muffins....bigger and last longer than a cupcake!! What's he like lol.

Forgot to add, I am having trouble leaving comments on others blogs. I havn't the foggiest why not it. The verification code is either not there or half there and so not able to press enter cos that's gone as well :0(
So I'm really sorry that I seem to be amiss but will see if I can get someone more techie than me to have a look.

Furry Bunny Rabbit

On one of my forays into the shops I saw some furry wool which was a very good price so it would have been rude not to have bought it! I had in mind a rabbit. I used the wool double throughout, and, although it was very difficult to work with (I also used small needles) I think he came out kind of cute. Sammy has an aran cable  jumper and a swanky pair of trousers and a pair of dinky shoes.

                                                                       Sold

                                                         He also has a hidden secret under his jumper!

                                                                     A little heart!
Sammy measures approx 9 and half inches from ear top to toe. He has a number of sisters and brothers who need photographing some time.

I have popped him onto handmade monday. www.1stuniquegifts.co.ukwww. which has bloggers entries and you can have a jolly good browse and see what people are making and getting inspiration.

Quirky village commission

Here is a photo of a 'Quirky' village commission that I was asked to do by a lovely lady. She sent me some photos of her area so that I could get an overall picture, then designed it as her quirky village. There was a lot of machine stitching and painting involved, with some hand embroidery. The chimney brush coming out of the chimney is to remind her of her new fireplace! I received a lovely email to say she had got it and she was delighted with it.

 As she had a castle, pier, boats, bird island and lighthouse nearby they were all included.

                                                 Close up of the swans and island.
 
I will have to do one for myself.....eventually! In the meantime I'm making another quirky cushion cover and some more bunny rabbits. Will post next week sometime.

.........updated version of the 'Quirky' Toadstool House......now you didn't think I could leave it with a funny roof did ya! So with a bit of tweaking the new updated version

Instead of tucking the roof in it looks much better with an overlap.

                                                                 Back view.

I designed it so that it has become a fitted lid.....I can now store my sweeties in their without Head Honcho knowing there is a secret stash!!

So if you have a small baked bean tin (or similair) don't throw it away, make a pin cushion!!
(I have to say it does look really bright and cheerful in real life and is functional as well as cute)

toadstool house

I was going to put this little tin, which originally held baked beans, into the recycle bin. But the shiny surface caught my eye and I thought, hmmm I can re-cycle it myself.

 As I needed a bigger pin cushion and I had some red spotty felt sent to me I thought put the two together and you have a toadstool (sort of!)


The photos are a bit rubbish I'm afraid so maybe if  you squint it wont be so fuzzy :OP I did put a cimney on but took it off as it looks a bit naff.

                                                       Nice red front door                                          

Gorgeous red and pink hollyhocks growing in the garden. I had some in my garden last year as well!

Just need to sew the backs together and the cafe is open. The cream teas are on me! A view of the window with a window box filled with french knot flowers.

                                                       Orange hollyhocks and house sign.

                                                                   Without the chimney pot
                                                   

                                                  Back view with apple tree and little bird

I did start out making it with a dark green background but it didn't match with the red so well and was a bit to dark.
I think that I could have done better with the roof....but I'm going to be scooting off to the next project!

Needlecases

Using up some of my stash of felt I made these 'quirky house' needlework cases! They are all ready to go to the craft shop which opens up in the spring. Compact enough to pop in the suitcase for a stitcher, a pressie from Scotland.

 Nice and bright, both the felts and the houses.

Inside with plenty of spaces to keep all those pin and needles stitchers need.

                                                       
                                                             Outside cover

                                                             All packed up

A lovely lady on a forum has given me some red spotty felt, so I am going to have a think about how to use that.

finished blanket

Winter seems to be the time for getting the knitting needles out. I've finished the patchwork knitted blanket that I started in October, I think. It's been really overcast here for a few months and today was no better, so there wasn't a good light to take a photo, the colours havn't come out quite how they are in real life, which is more of a sage green and raspberry red.

It's nice and cuddly and I've decided not to put a backing on it for now because..... 1) am now using the backing for a cotton patchwork....and 2) havn't got a suitable  replacement, so will keep my eyes peeled out in charity shops for maybe a double duvet cover or similar.

Nice and handy next to me on the sofa, already for when the draughts are draughty!
It was a good blanket to knit as there was enough different patterns so I didn't get bored knitting the same
 pattern. The edging was a simple leaf pattern.
Keeping the knitting needles out as I'm going to be making some more rabbits!

Overload of Bunnies!

This post is photo heavy of ballerina bunnies so be warned!


Here is a little visitor.....she is a bit shy tho

Here she is Lily the Ballerina Bunny she sports a pink and white tutu and pink pumps so she can dance the day away.

My niece has just had a baby girl so I think she is going off to her new home pretty soon. Here is her young cousin Jack, who is also a bit shy and is hiding!

And out he pops, with his little jumper and shorts he is a fine figure of a rabbit.

                                                                           Sold

And then who should turn up but  Lily's sister Belinda, who also is on her way to ballet class.

                                                                            Sold

Showing off her under outfit which is an all in one suit.

All best friends together.....

Jack has a red jumper but it was a bit to big and no shoes so I designed an outfit that fit him properly and he was really pleased about that!

The red jumper has been put away until he grows a little bit!

 They are about 8" tall with Jack being shorter at about 7"
I really enjoyed making these, they are sooo cute. Maybe I will do some more tutus in some different colours.

Knitting the edging

This is the edging that is to go around the knitted patchwork quilt. Have finished all the patches and sewn up into the blanket and just got one more side edge to do and then its 'do I add a back or not'? The neater side of me says yes, it will hide all the lumps and bumps, the lazy side says, no, don't bother! I do have some paler green fabric gleened from a duvet cover so maybe.....hmmm....oh the dilemma!

 It is a very nice raspberry deep red and is a leaf pattern.  I did copy the pattern from the patchwork book, but I remember making this as edging over 20years ago for my daughters cardi that I knitted for her. So nothing new eh!
It's easy enough to knit, but you have to focus and keep counting which is a bit difficult if there is a good film on.....well that didn't happen this holiday so I made good progress!!