WHEN THE URGE STRIKES...

It is such at the moment around here, that if I sit down on the couch, I'm likely to fall asleep immediately. My mind remains active, but the body says, err, no, sleep. So when a small window of energetic craftiness takes hold, I tend to do things at speed, spurred on by guilt also that the piles have remained as piles for far too long. But I can atest to the fact the piles do turn into things eventually.

First up Max and I made mini muffins. Blue cakes, as Max would prefer they be called. Really banana muffins with butter icing which should be purple but looks more like grey, and coloured sprinkles on top. Then we moved onto the backtack project, and finished the bag - no peaking, I'll show finished images when the recipient has the Bunny of Bling - for the Bunny to travel in comfort with. Considering Bunny Of Bling comes with many presents, it was absolutely necessary a bag was made as well.

We then moved onto destroying - in the nicest, bestest, possible way - a little pile of fabrics and recreating them as a basket bag for Lisa. I don't want to ruin her surprise, so you'll have to guess for now how all this works. And hope for me that Lisa likes the fabrics and colours I have chosen. The basket bag comes with little accessories, which will have to wait for next week's crafty energy field to come round. It could come tomorrow, Lisa, in case you're fretting, or maybe not. The energy is very sly and doesn't give much away about when it will next return.

And then we gathered up various trims for Eireanns's Trim Swap, packaged them up, added in some extra bits, and they're now waiting to be posted. You didn't think I'd show them all did you? You'll have to wait till Eireann gets them to find out what they are. They all coordinate. Of course. But that's not all. I also got this little item finished:

It's the Sweeten pattern from Rowan Babies, knit in Rowan 4plysoft in a dark charcoal colour, with silver grey bias binding - unbelievably, this is the first time I've worked with bias binding - around the edges and for the ties. I spent the entire night last night watching two really bad movies (one had Arnold Schwarzenegger in it. That says enough really. That and the fact I can't be bothered checking whether I've spelt Arnie's name properly) and hand sewing the bias binding in place, and hand sewing the binding ties together. As soon as I'm done posting, I'm cutting out a little top to go underneath this...Great pattern, by the way. And quick.

But there's still more....And then I made playdough. Following advice and one of the recipes from the new Kiddley site, we made very uneven green playdough which has since been used to:: make dragons, make dinasours, rub through hair, throw across the kitchen, make trains, and dissect into tiny teeny bits to be trodden on.

And I made more piles.

Comments

[joyce]

those muffins look very tasty!...oh...and that sweater is just so adorable!!! i must get my hands on that book!

[Jo]

Stop it! I'm exhausted just reading it! Love the jumper - what did you make the binding out of? It looks really soft and lush. Almost silky. Or do I need my eyes checked again? Relate totally to the purple sprinkles. Our colour of choice is blue, such an appealing colour to want to eat if you are over the age of 11. And you did spell Schwarzenegger correctly, I am a big fan. Arnie and Spotlight - my two favourite things.

[Meg]

Ummmm - if that's what you do in little spurts of creative energy, I'd love to see what you achieve when you have big spurts! I see your stuff all over the craft blog world, and it's always fabulous. No exception to that rule here. Though grey-meant-to-be-purple icing is perhaps sliding over into the vaguely dodgy area...totally rescued by those sprinkles however. What's not to love about sprinkles?

[nichola]

I recognise that pregnancy crafty urge to get stuff done! ;-)

[AJ]

Congrats on getting the edging done on the sweater, it looks wonderful with the bias binding.

[juliree]

What a gourgeous sweater! I'll have to check out that book. And I am very impressed by the bias binding--when I see that word I generally run in the other direction. But yours is so beautifully done, maybe I'll give it a try--

[Amelie]

Wow, looks like a lot of energy! And so many wonderful things you made!

[weirdbunny]

yummy cakes!

[Alison]

To say I am exhausted today, is putting it mildly.
To answer some questions:
1. The bias binding is silk binding from Tessutis.
2. The muffin icing is really a deliate shade of purple, but looks grey in the photos. I erred on the side of caution with the colour, rather than eating something far more lurid...
3. Jo - your Arnie comment has been dully noted.
4. Thankyou for the comments everyone about the top. The bias binding really does set it off, and was a lot easier to put in than I thought it would be - just time consuming to stitch neatly and evenly. It's darker in real life, but will sit really well with the Liberty print pattern of the shirt to go under it.

[Kristen]

All that and you still have to go to work! How do you manage it?

[lisa s]

oh i'm not fretting. just excited !!! and you are WAY ahead of me... i was going to make you something too - besides what you know you have a coming, but.... my energy level is practically non-existant!

the mini muffins look so yummy!

[Jo]

I can't beleive I spotted the silk binding. I am amazing myself even! It is really beautiful. Perhaps you can buy Arnie fabric at Spotlight ???? Heaven.

[eireann]

ooh la la! lisa's bag-sket looks amazing. no comment on the trims. wouldn't be fair. must wait. and those days when you can get so much done--wonderful. it's 31 degrees Celsius here, and sewing seems like a poor proposition. but we'll see.

[carolyn]

wow - that was certainly a flurry of creativity! :)

[Clair]

omg that jumper/wrap is beautiful! I wish i could knit faster lol.. i have three knitting projects all at the half way mark waiting to be finished.. sigh..

[bugheart]

oh...
i want some
blue cakes!
your blog is
always full
of temptations!
yummy
things to eat
and japanese
craft books-
you torture me!
all your craft
projects
look wonderful...
packages
are the best...
swapping
with bloggers
makes
them even
better!