a few gleeful re-runs...

with my folks staying at the shed for the next two weeks i am going to take a little time off. it will be lovely to spend quality time with them, doing what we do best, my mum knitting, my dad reading and moi, crocheting. actually i won't be doing a lot of that, for i have hand stitching that needs to be stitched for the book. whatever we will be doing you can be assured, we will be doing it together, pottling here and pottling there...

before i head off to do some pottling, i wished to share a few 're-runs' of some gleefulness i showed last year. some of you will recall them, and perhaps some of you are new to this neck of the woods and therefore cannot recall because you were in another part of the woods last year. either way, a little bit of repeated glee is okay with me

gleeful repeat #1: my fabby favorite all time cluster of glee. now technically this was a repeat last year, but i can't help myself, i love this little cluster even years after making it, so as long as i am 'a rambling' then i will be 'a repeating' this sweetie

gleeful repeat #2: a little easy peasy gleefully gleey garland easily changed out for felted sweater pieces or knitted pieces. whilst 'a mentioning' felted sweaters, may i be so bold as to say upon my return i will be sharing what i did with a few leftover bits of a cream woolly thrift store sweater. once again it is the easiest peasiest how-to, suited to children and folks like myself who like to squeeze in making gleeful decorations into small pockets of spare time. if that sounds of interest, do be on the lookout for a woolly cream sweater that is crying out to be boiled and then snippity snipped

gleeful repeat #3: a nice little tutorial on a 'whatnot' holiday garland. i was positively delighted with the whatnot garlands dearest readers made after this little how-to last year. it truly warmed my gleeful heart which was most perfect as the shed is known for it chilly ways in the winter months.

gleeful repeat #4: a 'whatnot gleeful' christmas tree... it was a little controversial in the shed last year, but all in all, the clan did admit it was a pretty spiffy tree. for those of you on your handcrafted, secondhand year i am guessing you are already thinking about the tree! Our #4 asked the question in september "are we having that painted dead twig in a bucket again this year?" his voice doing a crappity crap job at masking his concern

gleeful repeat #5: this one you must save until December 1st. for it is a tale of the miracle that came to pass last year at mossy shed. one that will warm your gleeful heart so it matches mine and then we will match with our warmed gleeful hearts which i think is quite nice and matchy and warm.

so there we have it dearest readers, for those that will be celebrating Thanksgiving next week, i wish you the peachiest of holidays. i will be in my shed with my folks and clan, finding myself another year on, once again being most thankful for many things including the life i have and the kindness that you continue to show me here on my shiny place

she is wishing you plenty of gleeful crafting time and will be back on dec 3rd with her felted sweater... counting down, not just to Christmas but to Our #1 returning home for the holidays ~ Tif

barking cloth mad...

on saturday, i noted to little olive we were close to 40 days until Christmas.

this spurred her into action

i, in turn was spurred into sorting my fabric stash.

what with Lou's pile turning up, closely followed by a fabby swap of bark cloth with the 'ever so lovely' Polly, i needed to make sure all the lovely little bits felt most welcomed...

after spending many quality moments folding each of them,

into the little glass cabinet i cleared out in their honor.

i decided there was nothing for it but to stay in my pajamas all day and play with them.

no clan member appeared to notice i was playing hooky from the usual saturday 'chorey' things,

by tea time i had taken full advantage of being invisible,

notching up a lovely cushion cover for the rocker

and two simple but quite happy slipcovers for two happy stools in the lounge.

previous to my day of 'playing hooky' i had done some 'shuffling' around the shed. the black couch has shuffled through to my studio, giving my folks a nice cozy corner for reading in, away from the main 'hub bub' of the shed.

one of Folly & Glee's lovely vintage shades is at the ready for my dad and his reading material.

on sunday morning, little olive was up early, having a wash and getting warmed up for day 2 of training.

i noted used dog appears to not be bothering with reindeer training this year.

today (and yesterday) i am playing catch up for my day of hooky. toilets need to be cleaned, floors swept, a book written and beds changed, not to mention the excitement of cooking some orange meals in preparation for tomorrow. yes indeedy, hurrah hooray! my folks arrive from across the pond, armed with Cadbury's chocolate and two whole weeks of their peachy company, which i am really, really giddy about...

she will be running 'gleeful re-runs' tomorrow ~ Tif

footynote: a gold sticky star if you spot the pesky gnome in one of the photos! this may require specs or a big magnifying glass :)

footynote #2: actually having just looked at this post, it would require a huge magnifying lens, so if you cannot spot his pesky little gnomeness then here's the 'big picture' to stop you going batty trying to find him :)

a cluster of gleeful jam jars... how-to

yes indeedy!

it is a time for gleefulness

and a time for handcraftedness

now before we begin i must tell you several things,

thing #1: this cluster of gleeful jams jars how-to, is perfectly suited to any random sized jar you have lurking around your nests. i found some in the back of my fridge, saved some as they became empty, others i decanted the contents so i could continue uninterrupted in my need to clothe little glass jars in warm jackets. indeed the more different sizes you have going on, the peachier it will look.

thing #2: this cluster would be most suited to a mantelpiece or perhaps the middle of a dining table. just be aware of where you place them if you are using 'night light' candles. i also think they would look quite peachy with red flowers dotted amongst them or red knitting needles. the odd pesky gnome wouldn't go a miss either. i have yet to get my gleeful box down from the attic so you will have to use your imaginations on this one, which of course i know you have by the bucketful :)

thing #3: the only material i used in this gleeful cluster that has not been used and loved before is the cream yarn.

thing #4: i believe the pictures pretty much speak for themselves in how the jackets are made, the crocheted little number i have given more instructions to. but as we go along you will see they are quite simple in their construction and also rather addictive.

so without further ado, here are three little jacket ideas for this gleeful season...

little cosy jacket #1:

ingredients

* a glass jar

* a thrift store sweater with cream sleeves

* red embroidery thread

* needle

* piece of paper

*scrap of lace

* typewriter (or you can hand write your words)

nitty gritty

using your glass jar as a guide,

(this one you may wish to use a large size jar for)

cut the sleeve and cuff off your sweater

leaving plenty for turning the top down.

place sweater sleeve over jar,

roll down sleeve a few times,

giving a nice 'roll neck' to your jacket.

hand stitch in place with red thread.

next type a little saying

(or hand write it)

stitch your little saying onto a scrap of lace

(i used Miss Ethel here,

but easy enough to hand stitch)

attach your little label to the jacket neck.

place your little sweater jacket upon your jar

and voila!

little cosy jacket #2:

ingredients

* pieces of old lace

* a glass jar

* red yarn

* dress making pins

* large eyed needle

nitty gritty

lay your jar on the lace

and wrap it up nicely,

making sure you pay attention to the neckline,

this way you can make for a pretty shape.

pin in place.

taking a long length of red yarn,

begin sewing your jacket up

leaving a nice tail at the end

(i am now thinking it not unlike a corset)

when you have got to the top,

start stitching your way back down.

with a bit of luck

you will have some lovely random cross stitching going on.

when you are back at the beginning,

tie off your yarn leaving nice long tails

and Voila!

little cosy jacket #3:

ingredients

* cream yarn

* crochet hook to match your size yarn

* a glass jar

nitty gritty

crochet a chain the prefect length

for wrapping around your glass jar.

not too loose, better to be a little stretched.

join your chain with a slip stitch,

being sure to keep it untwisted as you join.

chain one and continue around your circle

in half double crochet (usa)

or half treble crochet (uk)

after one row it might be worth

checking the fit of your little jacket

if the fit is perfectly perfect

continue crocheting your rows,

being careful to join at the end of each one

and chain up to start a new one.

just before you reach the neck of your jar,

you will need to decrease 4 times

evenly around your final

half double (usa) half treble (uk) row.

it might be wise to place pins

as a guide here.

then finish off with one row of

single crochet (usa) double crochet (uk).

place your little woolly jacket upon your jar

and Voila!

if perchance the little crocheted garland has caught your eye, no worries. next week, i will be doing a re-run of last year's 'week of glee'.

i am thinking if the BBC can run repeats, then so may i.

she is wishing you a weekend of getting crafty with a few glass jars ~ Tif

reasons to be cheerful...

1: little olive did not run away yesterday, unlike the day before. just thinking of a little pesky daxie out in the 'wooded' world beyond our acre of moss made monday afternoon a little fretful

2: Miss Lou Dearie's parcel of retro fabrics turned up on Mossy Shed's doorstep, winging it's way from old blighty. after putting them on a stool and admiring their retro goodness, i could contain myself no longer and had to rifle through them

3: a spiffy pair of retro curtains found within Miss Lou Dearies pile now adds the prefect granny chic charm to our lounge

4: Mr Sun has his hat on for the first time in quite the while. 'tis still a bit nippy in the air, however i may go outside in a bit and stand like a sunflower in the middle of the yard. pesky little olive may come too, if she promises to behave

5: a little japanese wooden doll found me on friday night upon the shelves of despair. she was not on the usual 'forsaken souls' shelf but stuffed rather undignified amongst the 'wooden finds'. i pulled her carefully out from under a wooden platter, she smiled shyly and i was smitten. took her home and gave her a little string scarf of granny knicker pink.

6: apparently there is no school tomorrow, therefore the 6:30am alarm will be switched off. that alone is cause for cheer in the shed.

7: one week today, my folks arrive from across the pond, the excitement within the shed is building to fever pitch.

8: the outline for my book is coming together, therefore Janine has given me the nod to continue along the book path. i have four key words written above my desk, 'gathering, writing, making, doing' in an attempt to ward off any unwelcome advances from Mr Procrastinator

even with a day off school, she is cheerfully hoping for a gleeful 'how-to' on friday, ~ Tif

dottie angel do's... part two

truth be told, i like to 'snippity snip' fabrics into pieces and then spend many happy moments patching them all back together in a random fashion. however for the dottie angel tea towels, i did not allow myself a pair of scissors, other than for cutting threads. my plan being, to see if just using two oversized tea towels, one could make several gifts in a very short space of time. therefore being contenders for

'gifts to make and give this gleeful season'.

both the laundry bag and the cushions are very basic in their construction, if you can sew a straight running stitch on a sewing machine you can make these easily. having done so myself yesterday, i am thinking a length of lace on the pillow envelope closure and a few little fabric tags on the laundry bag seam would give them a little extra. i would also go as far as to suggest one real life vintage doily appliqued on, amongst the printed ones might look quite peachy...

"how exotic" i hear you cry, "i know!" says i

laundry bag ingredients

* one pair of oversized dottie angel tea towels

* around 3 to 4 yds of twill tape

(or something similar for drawstrings)

place tea towels right sides together and pin

leaving a three inch gap before you start sewing,

sew down one side, along bottom and up the other side

once again leaving a three inch gap at the top

whilst bag is still inside out,

pinch your two corners flat

and stitch down creating a nice bottom for your bag

now turn your attention to the bag opening.

still with bag inside out

fold back the top of both tea towels 1.5"

sew along edge being sure to leave a nice wide gap

for your draw strings to run through.

turn bag right sides out

and press nice bottom with Mr Iron,

next, admire your nice bottom

taking your twill tape, cut into two even lengths,

thread one piece through the top of bag

(may need to use a safety pin for threading)

and back through the other side

knotting the two ends together

repeat in the opposite direction with other draw string.

i must admit the top of the bag does look a little iffy

before you put in the drawstrings,

but when they are threaded in,

everything appears to fall into place nicely

and voila! a simple laundry bag perfectly perfect

for hanging around

cushion cover ingredients

* an over sized pair of dottie angel tea towels

* two cushion inserts

(i used sizes 14" x 14" and 12" x 16")

with design facing upwards

fold the bottom and top of tea towel inwards

to the right size for your cushion,

this example is for the 14" square cover

pin along the right and left side

again in this example it is 14"

sew your two pinned sides

turn cushion cover right sides out,

carefully making sure corners are pushed out fully

press with your Mr Iron

and fill with cushion pad

Voila!

the dottie angel do's and the doilies design fitted both these 'how-tos' rather well, plus the cotton they are printed on is very soft even before washing and like i said before, adding a few extra details would give them a more handcrafted look. i know for me it was a struggle not to 'snippity snip' the rules up and patch them together with vintage fabrics but i think for quick and easy gleeful gifts or 'anytime of the year' gifts, they are perfectly perfect just the way they are.

she is back to her 'snippity snipping' ways today, whilst keeping a beady eye on pesky little olive ~ Tif

footynote: silly, silly me! i thought something was missing, has been one of those mornings :)

i am missing a cushion! so just a little footnote to say, using the other tea towel with the doilies, i made another simple cushion cover to match the dottie angel do's one, that being the size 12" x 16" i mentioned earlier. i am pleased to report they are most happy spending quality time in a chair together

dottie angel do's... part one

some days when Mr Sun won't shine

and Mr Blah seems all around,

i am thinking it quite nice

to have a reminder of how to 'perky up' the day.

now some may say

"how Tif, could a tea towel possibly perky up my day?"

and usually i would be inclined to agree,

although saying that,

there are so many tea towels

out in 'tea towel world' doing a grand job at cheering up a nest or two.

however this perfectly peachy pair

of over sized tea towels are tres clever,

not only do they have the ability to 'perky up'

a corner of your kitchen with their pretty looks.

but they are also handy dandy

at reminding us of how to live the 'dottie angel' way

yes indeedy, several months ago

whilst rummaging around some boxes in our garage

i came across my granny's old exercise book.

this chance encounter resulted in a 'ta da' moment of the utmost kind.

the results of my 'ta da' moment being the

dottie angel do's

1. do have high hopes

2. do follow the righteous and goodly

path of thriftiness

3. do think you are most peachy perfect

4. do feel a little crafty at least twice a day

5. do wear your slip peeking out from

below your skirt

6. do embrace all that is granny chic

and give it a forever home

this pair of sweeties would be perfectly at home doing the dishes,

hanging around on a wall looking pretty

or being used to make a cushion or bag.

they do not mind which you do,

they are just happy if you are.

all this grand tea towel fabbiness

was made possible by two spiffy folks.

folk #1. my soul sister Debbie and partner in businessy things such as this

(yes 'tis true, we are now 'ltd')

she wore her little 'business cap', the result being,

these lovely quality tea towels are printed in Old Blighty

and wrapped nicely in yarn,

ready for their new homes.

and

folk #2. my long time cyber buddy Francesca Iannaccone

from Mrs Eliot Books,

who so kindly saw what was inside of my head

and made the design appear!

i am a mega fan of Fran's lovely work

and was totally delighted when she agreed

to collaborate with Debbie and myself.

lots of other nitty gritty stuff about the tea towels

can be found in the description of them in my little shop.

i must tell you, i am pretty delighted

with the results of our first 'dottie angel ltd' product

and in thrilling 'part two' if i maybe so bold,

even bolder than today

i will be sharing a little 'how two'

for making this peachy pair into cushions and a laundry bag.

i know this to be bold,

because as i tippity type,

i have yet to actually make them into cushions and bags...

she has high hopes, she has not counted her chickens before they hatched ~ Tif

parting ways, positively...

yes indeedy dearest readers, it is with heavy heart

and a nagging voice within my head saying

"haven't you learnt your lesson yet Tif?"

i must report, Mrs Hook and i will be parting ways for a while.

i do it every time and i am a fool to myself.

after my happy outcome with the 'high hopes wrap' for a chilly day,

i needed to dabble further with the fisherman cream yarn from lion brand.

i thought to myself, there could be no doubting,

if i made a big cream chunky blanket

my clan would become The Waltons.

we would share many happy moments upon the couch,

said lovely blanket keeping us cozy.

talking 'talky' things,

reading books

and always, always with a smile on our faces

i set out upon my 'no doubting' quest to make thee blanket

and to some degree i have succeeded in my mission.

the degrees of success goes as such...

successful degrees

1: blanket and edging completed

2: tags and little twiddly bits that make me smile, completed

3: admired by clan members,

but only because i stood for a long period of time holding blanket up

making 'clearing throat noises' in the vain hope,

eventually someone would look in my direction.

this was not easy i might add,

as it took quite the time for myself and blanket to be noticed

by which point my ailing arm was complaining big time

not so successful degrees

1: it should have been bigger,

only two clan members can be comfortably situated under it at any one time

2: the cross was supposed to go from side to side,

thus implying a nod to our home country and the flag of England

3: i have noted, upon completion (to a degree) of blanket

it does not contain The Waltons special family powers

but all that being said,

ignoring the lack of England flagness about it,

the inability to bring a sense of Waltons to my clan

and my inability to wave around my right arm and shoulder,

making me off duty in the kitchen and cleaning department

(silver lining if ever i saw one)

i do believe this is my most favority, favorite blanket to date

and if a time comes

when Mrs Hook and myself get it on again, in the near future

we shall beaver away on completing the flag bits...

for now however,

i am thinking it best

to ignore the 'not so successful degrees',

embrace the 'successful degrees'

and call my blanket

a 'positively postive' blanket of the utmost kind

she is remembering, remembering the 5th of november and wishing you a spiffy, safe one ~ Tif

snippets of... randomness

yes indeedy, 'tis been quite the while since i did a 'snippets of...'

i thought "why not Tif, after all it is already thursday",

and quite honestly it has got to that time of year,

'the time' that happens every year,

the roller coaster ride.

from halloween

(which i tend to bypass)

onto thanksgiving

(which i love greatly)

finishing up at the gleeful season

(oh, i do love myself a bit of glee).

next week will be thee week,

my empty glass jars found lurking within my fridge and on the shelves of despair,

get their moment to shine.

i know it all seems tres early

but it does give any dearies who also wish to 'glee up' a few empty jars

a chance to get cracking in plenty of time.

but for today it is all about snippets and those snippets would be

'snippets of.... randomness around mossy shed'

brilliant eh!

there is no rhyme nor reason to these snippets,

other than they make me smile

and i am thinking that is as good a reason as any...

she has noted her little cogs have slowed this week, perhaps due to over brainstorming with little olive and used dog ~ Tif