Being Creative November: Vintage - Owl Tea Pot Cosy

This month's theme over at Julia Crossland's Being Creative is Vintage. It didn't immediately strike me, but ended up being the inspiration for me to finish off a long standing project, before it itself became vintage!

Back at the beginning of 2010, me and my husband were preparing to move in together. Now, I am an avid tea drinker, and I knew our house HAD to have a tea pot cosy. So, I got materials out, and before moving out I made quite a lot of progress.

In fact, by the time I left home, all it really needed was to be structurally assembled.

But... then I moved out. And I had other projects on, such as this Bee tea pot cosy for my brother's family, complete with pipecleaner antennae and net wings...

So, when my parents were able to magically fix my sewing machine this month, I knew it was time to complete it. Being Creative also gave me the actual push to sit down and do it, as the word Vintage always makes me think of all the wonderful fabrics I've inherited from generations of my family, which I've used to make this tea cosy.

The ears don't quite sit at the angle I wished, but when is anything handmade ever perfect?!

 The inside is a different purple fabric and a layer of wadding.

Details all hand stitched on fabric scraps and felt.

I am so thrilled it's finally finished! Although, with the recent posts Woolly Owl Hat and Sock Owls, I think I'm giving the impression I'm much more owl obsessed than I actually am! They're just so adorable... Had a request for another tea pot cosy too, so best get working on that!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participates in Being Creative, I have really met some wonderful creative people through it, and you're all so supportive :)

I've just redesigned the blog too, thought it made sense now there's a bit of an archive building up :) There are links on the right to find me round the internet too!

Sock Monkeys!

This has been a much promised post over the last few months, hasn't it?! I just knew I had one more to make, and wanted to share the whole little family at once :)

I know sock monkeys became a bit of a craze the other year, and whilst I didn't participate at the time, over the last year I've gone a bit mad... Credit to CraftBits for the tutorial, although it is adapted :) (Click on images to see larger versions.)

This is the very first sock monkey I ever made, nearly a year ago now!

And this was the second!

Then followed a series of mini sock monkeys, in an array of colours!

Crazily, each and every one of these sock monkeys has gone to a loving home, and I don't have one myself... I know exactly what he will look like when the time comes though. If you look carefully in this photo from my wedding day, you can see my rainbow socks... These were over the knee socks, and as soon as I find a new pair, a large rainbow sock monkey will most definitely find a home in my house :)

A stitch in time.

I've been a member of the Association of Young People with ME for 5-6 years now. I recently decided that it was time for me to move on, as a lot has changed - both personally and within the charity - since I initially joined.

However, before I left, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to make a teddy for a SAM - a Severely Affected Member of the charity. All the teddies are made by people within the charity, so sadly I won't be making anymore. But I am thrilled to have had the chance, and once he's had a ribbon attached, he'll hopefully go to a lovely home :)

Meet... Fudge!

Stood comfortably on the crochet baby blanket I'm working on, which may just be finished in time for grandchildren ;)

Woolly Owl Hat!

Yup, a rare picture of me, in all my *made it out of bed* glory ;) It was worth it for this wonderful hat though. The moment I saw the pattern over at Slugs on the Refrigerator, I knew I had to make it. And that I did, in one week at that!

I did make a few tweaks - adjusted the size to fit my head, subbed some of the single crochet for HDC (my new favourite stitch!), and changed the thickness and length of the plaits.

I am so thrilled with it!

Finally, I'm afraid I have nothing for Being Creative this month - my husband surprised me by taking me back to where we honeymooned, to give me my new engagement ring after Royal Mail lost my original. We had a wonderful time, but I'm shattered now, and have too many other projects to finish ;)