Welcome to this week's Finish for the Weekend :) Please see below for instructions on how to join in.
I'm sorry there was no post last Friday, I had nothing finished and nothing much to blog about either!
There have been a lot of storm systems about this week. What sort of name is "Brian" for a storm ?! (no offence to all the Brians out there) And who names these things anyway ? Over the water, in my homeland of Northern Ireland, it's been particularly stormy: lots of places closed down - schools, banks, parks - however I think they survived relatively unscathed. My Mum had a few of her garden pots blow over and smash, but thankfully no structural problems with her house.
Here in England just now it's a beautiful autumn day, and as I type the wind is still gusting ferociously through our garden, a great day to hang the washing out. I love this photo of near horizontal t-shirts.
So how's your week been ? Mine's been pretty good, nothing majorly exciting or anything, just a lovely balanced week of friends, coffee, chores and of course crochet.
For this week's finish I have a cute granny square bag made in a rather riotous Sirdar Click yarn.
I started this last year when we were driving up to Scotland to catch the ferry over to Northern Ireland at Easter. I had just had the dreadful news the night before that my Dad had died really quite suddenly, and then we had this 14 hour journey of hell to get through. I cried the whole way in the car, and then, as the traffic was so bad, we then missed the ferry. By the time we actually got on the ferry I was ready for sleep really, but in the absence of anywhere to lie down I did some crochet to keep me busy. All I could think to do was a granny square. I'd no idea what to use it for but I had to do something.
Whilst in NIreland I decided it was going to become a bag, so I crocheted another granny square the same size, and then also crocheted a strap. The strap was just around 7 stitches wide, and enough rows of dc to make it the right length for a cross-body bag.
These 3 bag-parts have been lying in my work basket for about 18 months now! It was time to finish it off properly.
I sewed the granny squares together on 3 sides, just normal sewing. I had thought about dc'ing them together but as this wool is quite chunky I thought a dc join would be too bulky. I then sewed on a gorgeous tomato-soup-red big button and crocheted a length of chains to make a button loop.
The final step was to line the bag. I'm not a massive orange fan so it was a good opportunity to use up this spotty orange fabric that had been in my stash for some time.
I used the sewing machine to sew the lining fabric sides together, and to hem the top, and then I hand-sewed the fabric inner to the crocheted outer. And ... ta-dah! A lovely sunny and bright granny square bag ....
It's another one of those projects where I just think to myself - why did I leave this so long ?? - because it only really took another hour or so of work to complete. Anyway, its done now, and I think I'm going to add it to my stockpile for craft fairs.
There may not be a FFTW post next week as I am going over to NIreland - just Little Tomboy and me - as its half-term holidays for us. We are leaving the teenagers here with Daddy, and a coupe of friends are joining us for a few days. I'm very much looking forward to going "home" and spending a few days just relaxing.
Happy half-term everyone!
Til next time,
Jillxxxxx
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Welcome to Finish for the Weekend, a weekly chance to link up and share with the blogging community some of the projects you have completed this week. The only rule is that your post must be about an item you have finished this week, hopefully to help reduce some of those piles of UFO's!
Here's how to join in:
1. Write a blog post about your finished project.
Here's how to join in:
1. Write a blog post about your finished project.
2. Link back to Finish for the Weekend by adding this text as a link on your post:
http://emeraldcottage.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Finish%20for%20the%20Weekend
3. Publish your post
4. Link back from here to your post by clicking "Add Link" and adding your post's URL
5. Spread the bloggy love by visiting and commenting on the other Finish for the Weekend posts.
The Finish for the Weekend post will open for new links on a Friday at 12noon London time, and it will stay open until Monday at 12noon to allow for overseas bloggers to join in. These times may vary but I will do my best to keep it roughly the same. Looking forward to seeing all your posts !
Hi Jill! I'm so sorry that I don't have a finish. Maybe next week! I need to get to the "almost done" stage with quite a few of my projects.
ReplyDeleteI like your granny bag! It's so cute!
I hope you have a lovely time at home. Getaways are always good!
What a sweet little bag! I envy you your clothesline. There is nothing better than hanging things in the sun to dry. I am sad to say we have no sun here in the warm months and way too many bugs to make it worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteI love your bag.. I'm thinking you put off finishing because it reminded you of a sad time. We're at the Oregon coast during a storm.. the surf is pounding outside our door. Enjoy your trip! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely bag!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely bag, though stitched up at a very sad time in your life, perhaps that's why it took a while to finish it off. I was hoping I could get some clothes outside to dry today but it's so windy here that I fear they'd blow away, we weren't supposed to be affected by Storm Brian but we've certainly got the wind. Enjoy your time away.
ReplyDeleteLove that bag you made!
ReplyDeleteN Ireland really did take a battering my heart went out to all those affected. I smiled at the name of the present storm Brian too, who thinks up these names? Love the bag, a great make. Have a wonderful break away.
ReplyDeleteHave a good break back at home and don't forget to take your gorgeous bag. Jo x
ReplyDeleteHi.Your Bag is absolutely Awesome.so very sorry you started it at such a traumatic time though.we did have some bad Gales here in Cornwall too,but I did spare a thought for those in N Ireland.I had a Stepfather name " Brian " and he did have some Brain Storms thankfully my mum got rid of him lol.Who names these Hurricanes anyway hee hee.Take care and enjoy your break away.some really Beautiful Scenery in N Ireland as of course you know.hugs xx
ReplyDeleteDear Jill, I have just spent this afternoon catching up with your posts for many months. I had tried to visit months ago and could not get onto your link and I thought I had your email address to contact you that way, but could not find it :( At any rate, I am sorry for your loss of your uncle just a year after the loss of your dad. The death of my brother-in-law earlier in the year has impacted the frequency of my posting so I can imagine how your loss has impacted you as well. Then you have the challenges of a busy family life, your daughter's injury, car troubles to boot. In the midst of the sadness I am glad you have had successful family birthday celebrations, a happy family wedding, and now a happy trip. Bravo for your charity run training!!! Your crafting is progressing beautifully...even if not as rapidly as you hoped. You made some lovely clever cards. The last one I made was a watercolor for a friend's anniversary. Your crocheting is wonderful! From a beautiful bag to interesting creatures you are creating many treasures. I posted a photo of hat I crocheted for a Grand. This week I have a Grand who turns TEN, my oldest granddaughter. I am glad you are treasuring times with your family including walks together...our Fall has been especially brilliant and a joy to be about and about in it...although today I am enjoying the rain we are getting :) xx
ReplyDeleteThe bag turned out well! Our weather has finally calmed down so hoping we don't send you any more storms! I think you probably put this project away because you associated it with your Dad's death-I had a quilt I ignored for a decade because I was working on it when I got the call for my F-I-L's death! I'm glad you got it out and conquered it!
ReplyDeleteJill, for some reason I have missed your posts. I am wondering what I have done to my blog to have them not showing up. Wonderful purse! Hope you are well.
ReplyDeletethat's cute
ReplyDelete