April showers bring May flowers.

Hi, it is Joy Aitman here.

 I was absolutely delighted to be asked to join the design team for IACW.  Let me tell you a little bit about myself.  Many of you will probably remember me from Cotswold Keepsakes. Gosh that seems a long time ago.  I also make cards for Quick Cards Made Easy.  I have a couple of scrapbooking books which I have written and a few I have collaborated on.  I can often be seen rearranging the bookshelves in Hobbycraft so that mine are made more prominent!!!!

I have four children and a very patient husband.  They let me photograph them and don't mind the house being clutterd with my latest project. I work as a teaching assistant in an infant school and have great fun doing craft club after school.

So that leads me to my first project.  After seeing Caz's crocheted flowers and seeing flowers on every layout, in every gallery I decided to have a go at making my own.

 

I had a lot of fun as you can see from above.  The first ones I made were knitted.  I used multicoloured sock wool and size 4mm needles.

Cast on 50 stitches and knit every row until the knitting measures about 35mm.

 

Cut the end of the yarn leaving 20cm. Thread it on to a darning needle and pull it through all of your stitches. Slipping them off the knitting needle as you go.

              

Pull the yarn tight to create a ruffle and stitch in place. Join the two ends together.  Add a button.

           

Then I raided the bottom of my knitting bag and found lots of leftover wool and got busy seeing what I could create with different textures and thicknesses of yarn.

 

 I had a ball!  And I cleared out a lot of odd bits. I am going to have fun using them.

I also found another pattern for little loopy flowers.  Using 4mm needles and sock wool. Cast on 50 stitches. Knit 1, cast off 9 stitches. Repeat to end. Cut the yarn leaving a long tail. Thread through the remaining stitches on the needle, pull and tie off. Add a button to the centre.

 

I also had a bit of a play with some fabric. I had some fabric - organza, I think, that I had bought for another project but not used.  I was inspired while making pompoms at school and thought I would have a go with fabric instead of wool. I cut the fabric into 1cm wide strips about 3 m long (it doesn't have to be a continuous strip). I then wrapped it around two plastic plumbing washers - available in DIY shops.

 

Keep wrapping until you have used the full length of fabric.

 

Stitch repeatedly around the centre to anchor down the fabric.  You can use a sewing machine and drop the feeder so that you can free stitch. Add a button. Cut around edges.

 

Slip off the plastic rings and fluff up.

 

You could also use beads in the centre.

 

I also got some felt out to play with.

 

I would love to see what you create. I will be using them on layouts over the weekend which I will post next time. 

Enjoy half term and let's hope the sun keeps shining. xx

And, the winner of The altered element prize is Jackie who submitted a layout celebrating her Man's 50th.  Let us have your address Jackie and we'll ask the lovely Lynne to pop your prize in the post.

Comments

[Diana]

These are so beautiful Joy - I will definately try the organza flowers!

[Julia]

Wow Joy!!! These are fantastic. Will be having ago at doing them that's for sure!

[Eleanor]

I'm trying the gathered and the loopy ones, sound so simple but look smashing.
E
xx

[Suzanne]

Great tutorials, love the one with organza ribbon and bead centre.