Coastal Crochet

Let’s Celebrate Wreath – a crochet collaboration with Eleonora from Coastal Crochet

Image shows the Let's Celebrate wreath completed and hanging against a white wall.
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Ten years ago this summer, this little blog of mine turned 10 years old. Way back when I first started blogging about my life (which at that time was mainly spent in Gibraltar) under the name of ‘Postcard from Gibraltar’ and as I shared a few of my own crafty makes, the idea that anyone would actually find my posts and read them was a bit mid boggling. I also never imagined I would one day be brave enough to begin designing my own crochet patterns.

Way back in those early days, the main advice I came across for newbie bloggers was to read other people’s blogs and interact with the blogging community. When I did that, I discovered a blog which really appealed to me. It was called Coastal Crochet, and, like mine featured posts about family life (by the sea) and crochet makes. Over time, Coastal Crochet’s creator Eleonora and I would regularly correspond with each other through comments on each other’s posts and through social media.

Coastal Crochet Logo
Making Stitches Blog Logo

When Eleonora began her first crochet along ‘The Seaside Stashbusting Blanket’ I jumped straight in and joined along with many, many other crocheters around the world and I loved sharing my own progress through my blog and social media with the backdrop of Gibraltar or nearby Spain in my pictures. You can read the story of my Seaside Stashbusting Blanket here if you would like to find out about the inspiration behind my colour choices.

The first rows of my Seaside Stashbusting Blanket in January 2018
My completed Seaside Stashbusting Blanket at Sandy Bay, Gibraltar which had inspired my colour choices in October 2018

Fast forward a few years and, after a relocation back to the UK in 2020, a couple of years later, I met Eleonora in real life for the first time at Yarndale, it was so lovely to actually chat in person after so many years of ‘chatting’ online. Two years later, at Yarndale 2024, we met again and decided we would do something together to mark a decade of both of our blogs. This is it… the ‘Let’s Celebrate Wreath’.

Our first meeting at Yarndale 2022
Meeting again at Yarndale 2024

We thought it would be nice to mark our joint celebration with a project which would help others celebrate too.

In our house, we have ‘birthday bunting’ which we bring out every time a birthday is celebrated in the household. Without fail, the bunting goes up in the front window on the morning of the birthday and it remains there along with the birthday cards which have been received for a week. I used our family’s birthday bunting in this photo for my Making Stitches 2025 CAL Bonus Birthday square.

When we chatted our idea through, Eleonora and I thought, perhaps this Let’s Celebrate Wreath could become something like our birthday bunting and be put up whenever a birthday is celebrated – it certainly will be in our house!

As this is a true collaboration between Eleonora and myself, it’s been designed in partnership drawing from things we are both known for; the gingham effect of the Tunisian crochet comes from one of Eleonora’s blanket designs, the ‘Picnic on the Beach blanket’, the tiny string of bunting has also featured in a similar way on one of Eleonora’s previous designs for a Life Ring Wreath.

From my side of things, I have designed a number of amigurumi dolls and other things which I have shared both on this blog and in my Etsy pattern shop so I have created the pattern for the balloons and the birthday cake following the amigurmi technique of crocheting in the round.

In order to create your own Let’s Celebrate Wreath, you will need to visit Eleanora’s blog in order to find the pattern for the gingham wreath cover and the little string of bunting, you can find my pattern for the balloons and the birthday cake below.

Pattern to make the ‘Let’s Celebrate’ balloons Part of the Let’s Celebrate Wreath

By Eleonora Tully & Lindsay Weston

Materials

We used 4-ply yarn, ‘Scheepjes Catona’, as detailed below, but any 4-ply or DK weight yarns, especially cottons, can be used to achieve similar results.

Scheepjes Catona (100% cotton, 50g / 125m), Royal Orange (189), Lemon (280), Emerald Green (515), Powder Blue (384)

  • 2.5mm (US C/2) hook
  • A small amount of soft toy filling
  • A stitch marker is useful to mark the first stitch of each round

Tension

Tension is not critical for this project.

Measurements

The finished balloons are approximately 75mm long and 45mm wide.

Pattern notes

The balloons are worked in the round using the amigurumi technique of crochet. It is useful to mark the first stitch of every round with a stitch marker and move it as each round is completed. Once they are all finished, they can be sewn onto the wreath base (the pattern for which can be found at coastalcrochet.com). Please use the photos as a guide for where to position and sew the decorations onto the wreath base.

Abbreviations in UK terms:

ch: chain

dc: double crochet

dc2tog: double crochet 2 stitches together

mc: Magic Circle/Magic Ring

mm: millimetres

rep: repeat

st(s): stitch(es)

To work:

Using a 2.5mm hook and yarn make a MC

Round 1 Work 6dc into the MC. Pull ring tight. (6dc)

Round 2 2dc in every st around. (12dc)

Round 3 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next st) rep around. (18dc)

Round 4 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (20dc)

Round 5 (1dc in next st, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (22dc)

Round 6 (1dc in next 2 sts, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (24dc)

Round 7 (1dc into next 3 sts, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (26dc)

Rounds 8 & 9 1dc in every st around. (26dc)

Round 10 (1dc in next 4 sts, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (28dc)

Rounds 11 & 12 1dc in every st around. (28dc)

Round 13 (1dc in next 4 sts, dc2tog, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (26dc)

Round 14 1dc in every st around. (26dc)

Round 15 (1dc in next 3 sts, dc2tog, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep. (24dc)

Round 16 (1dc in next 4 sts, dc2tog) rep around. (20dc)

Round 17 (1dc in next 3 sts, dc2tog) rep around. (16dc)

Round 18 (1dc in next 2 sts, dc2tog) rep around. (12dc)

At this point, stuff the balloon. Don’t stuff it too firmly though as you want it to be oval rather than round when viewed from the top, so it lies nicely against the wreath when it’s attached.

Round 19 dc2tog around. (6dc)

Round 20 1dc into every st around. (6dc)

Round 21 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next st) rep around. (9dc).

Fasten off with a slst and break yarn. Sew in the end. 

Make 4 balloons for the wreath, one in each colour. 

Round 3 complete
Round 9 complete
About to begin Round 19

Pattern to make the ‘Let’s Celebrate’ birthday cake

Image of amigurumi birthday cake

Materials

We used 4-ply yarn, ‘Scheepjes Catona’, as detailed below, but any 4-ply or DK weight yarns, especially cottons, can be used to achieve similar results.

Scheepjes Catona (100% cotton, 50g / 125m), Snow White (106), Hot Red (115), Lemon (280), Powder Blue (384), Camel (502)

  • 2.5mm (US C/2) hook
  • A small amount of soft toy filling
  • A stitch marker is useful to mark the first stitch of each round

Pattern notes

The cake is worked in the round using the amigurumi technique of crochet. It is useful to mark the first stitch of every round with a stitch marker and move it as each round is completed. You will need to make all the components of the cake (the top, the base, the candle and the flame before joining the cake top to the cake base).

Once it’s complete, it can be sewn onto the wreath base (the pattern for which can be found at coastalcrochet.com). Please use the photos as a guide for where to position and sew the decorations onto the wreath base.

Abbreviations in UK terms:

BBL: This is a 4tr bobble stitch [yo, insert hook in st, yo, pull up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook] 4 times (you will then have 5 loops on your hook) yo and draw through all the loops on the hook]

blo: blo

ch: chain

dc: double crochet

dc2tog: double crochet 2 stitches together

flo: front loop only

fyo: final yarn over 

mc: Magic Circle/Magic Ring

mm: millimetres

rep: repeat

st(s): stitch(es)

yo: yarn over

To make the cake base:

Using 2.5mm hook and Camel yarn, make a MC

Round 1 Work 6dc into the MC. Pull ring tight. (6dc)

Round 2 2dc in every st around. (12dc)

Round 3 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next st) rep around. (18dc)

Round 4 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 2 sts) rep around. (24dc)

Round 5 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. (30dc)

Round 6 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 4 sts) rep around. (36dc)

Round 7 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 5 sts) rep around. (42dc)

Round 8 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 6 sts) rep around. (48dc)

Round 9 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 7 sts) rep around. (54dc)

Round 10 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep around. (60dc)

Round 11 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 9 sts) rep around. (66dc)

Round 12 Working in blo, 1dc in every st around. (66dc)

(From now on the st count for the rounds will remain at 66dc.)

Round 13 1dc in every st around.

Rounds 14 & 15 Rep Round 13 but change to Hot Red in fyo of Round 15

End of Round 11
Round 16 in progress
Creating the first bobble of cream in Round 17
Bobble 1 complete in Round 17
Round 17 in progress

Round 16 Working in blo, 1dc in every st around, changing to Snow White in fyo of Round 16.

Round 17 Working in the blo, (1BBL in 1st st, 1ch, miss the next st) rep around (on this occasion slst into the top of the 1st BBL). Change to Camel in fyo of Round 17. (33BBL)

Finishing Round 17
Beginning Round 18
Round 23 in progress
Cake base completed at end of Round 27

Round 18 1dc into the top of every BBL & into every 1ch space between the BBLs. (66dc)

Rounds 19 – 24 Rep Rounds 13 to 18.

Rounds 25 – 27 1dc in every st around. Fasten off and break yarn.

To make the cake top:

Making Bobbles in Round 4A
Round 4A completed

Using Snow White yarn make a MC

Round 1 Work 6dc into the MC. Pull ring tight. (6dc)

Round 2 2dc in every st around. (12dc)

Round 3 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next st) rep around. (18dc)

Round 4A Working in the flo, (BBL in first st, slst into next st) rep around. (9 BBL)

Working into the blo for Round 4B
Round 4B completed

Round 4B Working in the blo, (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 2 sts) rep around. (24dc)

Round 5 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 3 sts) rep around. (30dc)

Round 6 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 4 sts) rep around. (36dc)

Round 7 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 5 sts) rep around. (42dc)

Rounds 8 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 6 sts) rep around. (48dc)

Round 9 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 7 sts) rep around. (54dc)

Round 10 (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 8 sts) rep around. (60dc)

Round 11A Working in the flo, (BBL in first st, slst into next st) rep around. Fasten off and break yarn. (30 BBL) 

Round 11B Join Camel yarn and working into the blo, (2dc in 1st st, 1dc in next 9 sts) rep around. (66dc) 

Do not break yarn as you will be using it to crochet the top to the base once the candle has been added to the centre of the cake top.

Candle & flame
Candle & flame joined and candle stuffed
Candle ready to be added to the cake top

To make the candle:

Using Powder Blue yarn, make a MC

Round 1 Work 6dc into the MC. Pull ring tight. (6dc)

Round 2 Working in the blo, (2dc in next st, 1dc in next 2 sts) rep. (8dc)

Rounds 3 – 12 1dc into every st around. Fasten off and break yarn leaving a tail to sew it to the cake top. 

To make the candle flame:

Using Lemon yarn, make a MC

Round 1 Work 3dc and 1tr into the MC, then 2ch & slst into the 1st ch to form a picot, work 1tr and 3dc into the MC. Pull the ring tight. Fasten off and break yarn leaving a tail to sew the flame to the top of the candle. (6dc, 2tr & 1 picot).

To assemble the cake:

First of all, sew the flame onto the top of the candle and attach it firmly, weave in the ends of the Lemon yarn. Then stuff the candle firmly with toy filling. This is a bit fiddly but if you have a long thin implement to help force the stuffing in that is helpful (a chopstick is great for this purpose!).

Once the candle is stuffed firmly, sew it securely to the centre of the cake top. Once it is securely in place, it’s time to attach the cake top to the cake base. This can be done by sewing it together, but I prefer to crochet it on working through both the edge of the cake top and top the last round of the cake base, as it’s really neat.

Candle stuffed and attached to cake top
Crocheting the cake top onto the cake base (wrong sides together)
Finishing the join

Take the cake base and the cake top wrong sides together and put the hook through the first st of Round 11B on the cake top and then one of the sts of the final round on the cake base and work 1dc into it. Then proceed to make 1dc into every st around working through both the cake top and the cake base. Once you are two thirds of the way round, this is a good time to stop and fill the cake with toy filling. You don’t want to over stuff it as that will result in a rounded bottom to your cake, but you need enough stuffing for it to hold its shape. You can always add a bit more just before you close the hole, so if you are usure, carry on crocheting the top onto the base and stop when you still have a few stitches to go and you can still decide to add a bit more filling. 

When you are happy with the shape and size of the cake and you have completed the join, fasten off and break your yarn, weaving in the end. Your cake is now complete and ready to be sewn onto your ‘Let’s Celebrate Wreath’!

Once you have completed your cake, balloons and bunting, pin them onto your wreath base. When you are happy with the position of the different elements, sew them firmly in place.

Image shows the Let's Celebrate wreath completed and hanging against a white wall.

And there you have it, complete with the bunting & the wreath base pattern as detailed on Eleonora’s Coastal Crochet blog, you have your very own ‘Let’s Celebrate’ wreath!

We really hope you enjoy making it and that it brings many years of enjoyment to your home!

The latest episode of the Making Stitches Podcast features a chat between myself and Eleonora about this project and how we have become friends over the past 10 years thanks to our blogs. You can find a link to the episode show notes here.

Image shows the Let's Celebrate Wreath held up in front of a view of the English Channel on a beautiful sunny summer's day

Isn’t this photo Eleonora has taken beside the sea of our Let’s Celebrate wreath stunning?

If you make a Let’s Celebrate wreath and share it on social media, please tag myself @making_stitches_blog and Eleonora @coastalcrochet in your posts so we can both see yours!

Thank you so much for your interest in our crochet collaboration, I really hope you enjoy making a Let’s Celebrate wreath that you and your loved ones can enjoy for many years to come!

Happy hooking!

Lindsay x

Summer Craft Challenge 2025 : Week One

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Blimey – that was a quick week. Week one if my Summer Craft Challenge 2025 is done!

I have to say I have been thrilled to be joined by so many other crafters so far this time – some are joining everyday, others just now and then. There is absolutely no pressure to post something everyday, but if you feel inspired to do something creative after reading this, please join in! Here’s a little look back at my creative week number 1!

Day 1 : Saturday 19th July

I started my Summer Craft Challenge off with a heart for the North West and North Wales Paediatric Transport Service yarny hearts appeal. It only seemed right – if this is the first you have heard about it, you can find all the details here.

Day 2 : Sunday 20th July

I had enough time today to actually make a full trio of matching hearts for the appeal – the staff on the ambulances need three matching hearts for each family, so this is my first full set done!

Day 3 : Monday 21st July

Now this was fun, a new make for a very special collaboration I am working on with Eleonora from Coastal Crochet. I won’t say any more for now, but I am very much looking forward to sharing it with you very soon…

Day 4 : Tuesday 22nd July

Super busy day for me both at work and at home in the evening meant there was very little time for crochet, but I did plan ahead and take my hook into work with me and managed a quick five minutes during my lunch break!

Day 5 : Wednesday 23rd July

Another frantically busy day meant not much time for fun things after work, cutting the lawn, food shopping, washing, ironing and packing to go on holiday, but it was all worth it because….

Day 6 : Thursday 24th July

….after a very long drive and ride on a ferry, we arrived at our home for the next week, in Scotland! Hurrah! Check that view out for a backdrop to my sock knitting!

Day 7 : Friday 25th July

I’ve been saving up this embroidery project to bring with me on holiday. I bought it a few months back from Hello Hooray Blog with the intention of bringing it away on holiday with me. It’s perfect, it’s small, portable and has everything I need inside and I LOVE the colours! I can’t put it down… just one more diamond….

Not only did I manage to do some embroidery on Friday, I also managed a bit of crochet on the side of the shinty pitch while my boys had a kick around!

Thank you to everyone who has joined in with the Summer Craft Challenge 2025 so far – I have loved seeing your creations appearing online. Here are just a few of the brilliant snapshots of creativity which have been shared under the #SummerCraftChallenge2025 hashtag this week!

Thank you all for being good sports and joining in! Have a lovely weekend!

Lindsay x

A Postcard from May 2025

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Hello, and welcome to this Postcard from May! I’m starting off with this brilliant sign of spring turning into summer, the first swift I spotted this year.

Back when this blog first began, and my family was living in Gibraltar, we used to spot scores of swifts screaming around the tightly packed streets of the Upper Town in March! This was as they were on their way up north from Africa to spend the summer in the skies above northern Europe. Every time I hear one, I think of those early spring skies in Gib!

So, to May, well, it was a month of lots of podcasting (more on that later!), quite a bit of crochet and the small matter of a running race…

Sporting highlights

Beautiful Manchester Central Library on 10K day

Back on 18th May, a huge chunk of Manchester pulled their running shoes on and took part in the Great Manchester run. The city centre was buzzing and the weather was lovely (almost a little too lovely for the runners – but I’m not really complaining about that!). The atmosphere was utterly amazing and I was so glad I’d signed up to take part again this year.

For those who have followed my blog for a while, you will know I’m not a natural runner, I wasn’t built for speed, but last year, as a personal challenge to prove that hitting the big 5-0 didn’t mean I was ready for the scrap heap, I undertook a lot of training and ran the Great Manchester Run 10k. It was only ever meant to be one-time-only affair, just so I could say “10K you say? Oh yes, I’ve run one of those!” However, on the finish line, those plans were scuppered…. I can honestly say that that last kilometre was a killer and I was vowing to myself, “Just keep going, don’t stop – you’ll never have to do it again!”

But… when I caught up with Son number 2, who was 16 at the time, he said “I’m really proud of you Mum, when you run it next year, I’ll do it with you!”. Not one to thwart the enthusiasm of the young, I kind of had to say yes and sign up again. Fast forward 12 months and there I was, standing back on the starting line, with hundreds of people separating me from Son number 2 as he had pushed forward to be with the fast folk so he could clock a good time!!

This was me at around the 5K mark – photo credit, my lovely friend V who cheered us on

I can honestly say that this time around it wasn’t as bad as last year, I knew that the last kilometre would be hard, but I was prepared for it, and I did it just a minute slower than last year (had I realised, I may have speeded up!) but, that said, I didn’t feel as bad as last time – I won’t go so far to say it was easier, but I guess I must have been a bit fitter. As my Mum said, (who saw me between 6K and 7K) “You didn’t look as dead as you did when you passed us last year dear”. So I’ll take that as a compliment – thanks Mum!

Proof I did it! Me and my medal

I decided to raise funds this year for FareShare Greater Manchester, the charity I work for. If you would like to support my amazing sporting achievement (haha) my Just Giving page is still open for business. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far – as I write this, the total stands at just over £600 which is brilliant. You can find the link to my page here if you want to check it out.

Also last month, I went to watch our family’s team, Manchester United for a very significant occasion, which happened to be the last match of the season. It was my lovely Dad’s last match as a season ticket holder. He decided that this year, at the age of 82, he was finding the winter matches too cold to sit in the stands for so long and the amount of standing during the matches to see over the people in front was too much for his octogenarian legs. Dad has held his season ticket in the same stand since the season I was born (1973-4). He decided that as he was going to be a Dad and that meant he was getting old, he should treat himself to a seat and move out of the Stretford End which was a standing only area at the time.

So for as long as me and my brother have been alive, Dad has sat in that stand with the same match-going buddies around him. It felt too significant to let it pass without a bit of a fuss. So, I booked tickets for me and Son number 3 to go (the only United appreciator of my offspring) and be in the stadium at the same time, I got Dad’s name put up onto the scoreboard and a little bit about him in the match day programme too.

My view of the Old Trafford pitch at the top of the tallest stand, Dad was in the stand on the left – I even managed to spot him at one point!

It was so lovely to be back at Old Trafford, as once upon a time I was a frequent visitor – my first ever job at the age of 16 was there and I worked there throughout my A-Levels and in university holidays too. In fact it was Manchester United which set me on the career path into radio which eventually led to me creating the Making Stitches Podcast!

I’m so glad we managed to join Dad on this special day – even if we were sitting miles away from him. Oh, and they won too which was a relief!

Making Stitches 2025 CAL

May Blossom square

The May square for the Making Stitches 2025 CAL was a blossomy one. I really debated whether to feature cherry blossom in the April square but changed my mind, opting for April showers for the driest month since records began in the UK (I may be slightly exaggerating there). However, thankfully for me, there was still plenty of blossom around and about when April turned into May, so I still had the chance to jump on the blossom band wagon – what a thrill!

I was really pleased with how turned out, and it would appear that lots of you liked it too as there were some beauties which popped up in my Instagram feed through out the month – you can see some of them below.

Some of the May Blossom Squares

If you missed out on the May Blossom square when it came out, you can still find it on my blog here.

In other crochet news….

Since early this year, I have been beavering away on a cardigan project. I made myself one of these cardigans a good few years ago. It’s a Fran Morgan pattern from Simply Crochet magazine called ‘A Good Vintage’ – you can still buy the pattern online.

My Mum has long admired my cardy, so I decided to make one for her birthday – only problem is, that was in March not May! On the big day, I gave her the body and one sleeve wrapped up and had to ask for it back to finish it. Well, here it is out in the sunshine on my blocking mat.

I’m pleased to report, she thought it was worth the wait!

And, there’s more crochet too…

A special crochet project ❤️

I’m sure an awful lot of you will be aware of a significant blog anniversary which happened earlier in June – the 10th anniversary of Coastal Crochet, by the lovely Eleonora Tully. I have been reading Eleonora’s blog since the early days, as I discovered her as I began my own blogging journey in June 2015 too. Obviously Eleonora’s and my blog trajectory hasn’t quite been the same, but it’s an anniversary worth celebrating none the less! So, last year, when we met up at Yarndale, we discussed the possibility of collaborating on something to mark our joint blog birthdays. The photo above is evidence of that design in progress.

We are hoping to share the finished design next month, and can’t wait to share it with the world!

Podcast News

The first Making Stitches Podcast episode in May was another 10th anniversary celebration (there must have been something in the water in the late spring/early summer of 2015 surely?). This time it was being celebrated by my fabulous sock-knitting friend Christine Perry from Winwick Mum.

During that decade of encouraging the world to knit socks, there have been literally tens of thousands of socks knitted – that’s some achievement. You can find out more about the episode and listen to it here.

Next came a chat I had with Rachael Mills, a crochet teacher and designer and dressmaker from Lancashire. It was Rachael who was responsible for crocheting the giant doily which adorned a Ford Escort car and which was part of the installation which won the 2024 Turner Prize.

I loved hearing about how she took a phone call from the artist, Jasleen Kaur and wasn’t put off about the size of the project – just saying “Yes, I’m up for that!”. What a life lesson that is, you never know where opportunities might lead….

Find the full episode show notes here.

And finally, one week ahead of schedule, I published this episode featuring Nat Walton, the curator of the Woven in Kirklees textiles festival – the reason for the early episode – it went out on the eve of the start of the festival, World Stitch Day on 1st June.

This biennial festival draws on the whole community of this West Yorkshire district and covers all sorts of crafts and creativity. It was fascinating to hear the story of the festival and all the things visitors to this year’s events can enjoy.

Find out more here.

Simply Crochet, simply exciting!

So, this is exciting. A little while back I was approached by Simply Crochet Magazine to ask whether I would like to be featured for my blogging and crochet work. I have been the subject of an article about my podcast, but never about my crochet before. I have to say, after reading the magazine for many years (I even had it delivered to me when I lived in Gibraltar and we moved back home to the UK in 2020), it really made me feel like I’d ‘arrived’ a bit.

What an honour to be featured in this brilliant magazine. You can find the article in issue 162, if you want to have a read. Thank you so much Simply Crochet, and thank you to Marianne Rawlins (@mazcrochets on Instagram) for interviewing me and writing such a lovely interview.

And that just about brings this latest postcard to a close, but I can’t go without acknowledging the awful news our online crafty community received yesterday about Amanda Bloom. I never met her, but I did have the opportunity to speak to Amanda on a couple of occasions for Making Stitches Podcast, and we had spoken recently about me going to visit her at her latest creative endeavour, her ‘Craft Room’ at Bentham in North Yorkshire.

I hope Amanda has found peace at last and that she has been reunited with her beautiful daughter, Jenny.

Take care of yourselves everyone,

Lindsay x

Jenny’s Mandala, from Amanda Bloom’s Little Box of Crochet

A Postcard from April 2025

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Hello there! How have you been? We’re ticking along fine up here at Making Stitches HQ, we have been basking in the sunshine recently. My decision to opt for April showers for last month’s square of the Making Stitches 2025 CAL was a bit of a mistake – or maybe it caused the sunny weather we’ve enjoyed?

Here’s my latest postcard, a week and a bit later than planned… I hope you enjoy it!

Sunny Rochdale

Rochdale Town Hall

At the start of April I travelled to Rochdale to visit an old school friend of mine, it was a stunningly sunny day and we decided to go out and enjoy the lovely weather. Whilst I had visited her at home several times before, I had never been into Rochdale town centre, so we headed off and went to the recently refurbished Town Hall – my word it was stunning. The main entrance hall had the feeling of an ecclesiastical building more than a civic one.

The stained glass was stunning and shown off to its advantage by the bright sunshine outside. Inside there was an exhibition of more modern stained glass made by artists which was beautiful too. I particularly loved this bunch of flowers and the blue & green design. The floral window, created by Deborah Lowe, was called ‘Right there with you, Mr Morris’ and was inspired by William Morris. The blue & green one was created by Debbie Copley and was called ‘Goldfinch & Blue Teasels’.

Right there with you, Mr Morris by Deborah Lowe
Goldfinch & Blue Teasels by Debbie Copley

Also on display were two textile pieces produced by Artist Alison Greyer. One had an emphasis on nature, community & remembrance and was made in collaboration with a local arts & crafts group, the second piece was inspired by pupils at a local primary school.

Upstairs in the town hall is the most amazing space which, on the day we visited, was prepared for a boxing match!

The joy of nature

One of our favourite walks down to the River Mersey close to our home

The beautiful dry and sunny weather persisted throughout April, which was truly lovely to enjoy. There were odd days when it was overcast and wet, but to my mind it was nice far more often than when it was cold and wet. What a luxury! This, in turn had a brilliant effect on the nature around me, there have been fabulous shows of blossom, from cherry blossom early on to hawthorn and many other sorts too. It’s thanks to the brilliant displays we have enjoyed this year, that I was inspired to make May’s Making Stitches 2025 CAL square a blossom themed one. 

Crochet…

An Easter themed post box topper in my local town

I will start this section with some crochet that doesn’t belong to me – I always admire post box toppers when I see them – the amount of work and time that goes into them for the benefit of others. This Easter themed one was on one of the main roads through my nearest town. I’m so glad it was left to look lovely and not destroyed.

April Showers Square – last month I opted for the weather as the theme of my Making Stitches 2025 CAL square. I had been toying with the idea of going for blossom as the theme but in the end went for April Showers as the the March square had been floral. It’s always so lovely to see squares appearing on social media throughout the month as other people join in and make their own versions! Thankfully the beautiful blossom has persisted which meant I was able to use that as the inspiration for the May Square instead!

If you would like to have a go at making any of the Making Stitches CAL squares, you can find the patterns all here.

Some of the brilliant Making Stitches CAL Squares which have appeared online this month

Crochet collaboration!

Making Stitches Blog is going to be celebrating a big birthday this summer – it will be 10 years since I set off on this blogging adventure. Back then, of course, it wasn’t called Making Stitches – the name was Postcard from Gibraltar but when we moved back to the UK, I changed the name. Way back in the early days of my blog, I found a fellow blogger who was talking about crochet and other things I was interested in and we became online friends. That blogger then went on to much bigger and better things, designing for Yarn Companies, teaching workshops and is now about to fly to Australia to talk to crocheters over there! She is, of course, Eleonora from Coastal Crochet.

Eleonora’s picturesque beach reveal of our colour palette
My own, back garden version!
Work is underway!

We have been lucky enough to meet in person a couple of times (both times at Yarndale) and when we met up last September, we talked about our impending 10th anniversaries. We decided it would be nice to do something together to mark this landmark and are now collaborating on a joint crochet pattern which we will be unveiling in the summer. Eleonora broke the news on her social media with a perfectly ‘Coastal Crochet’ photo showcasing the yarn we have chosen. I’m afraid my version in my back garden isn’t quite as romantic but it doesn’t matter! 

Eleonora & I at Yarndale last year

We have decided upon the design for our joint project and work has already begun, if you follow our social media (Instagram in particular) you may have spotted some sneak peaks of our progress along the way. I’m looking forward to sharing more in the weeks to come!

Big Birthdays

Eldest’s 21st birthday cake
Making Stitches Podcast turned 5

There were 2 big birthdays in the Making Stitches household in April – Eldest turned 21 (eek!) and Making Stitches Podcast turned 5!

I have no idea how I have ended up with a fully formed adult as a child – it doesn’t seem possible. It’s only 5 minutes ago we were going to baby music groups and then talking about starting school! Time flies far too quickly. On the day after he celebrated his 16th birthday in April 2020’s first lockdown, I launched Making Stitches Podcast as something fun to focus on as we navigated lockdown and an impending relocation back to the UK. I feel quite proud that it’s still going 5 years on. It’s a common fact that podcasts often run out of steam and some don’t last even a complete first series, so to have one which has survived 5 years is a pretty good achievement I think.

Podcast News

So while I’m talking about the podcast, here’s what you may have missed in April. First of all I got to sit down and chat to Marianne Rawlins a crochet designer based in the South West of England. Marianne designs and writes for Simply Crochet Magazine. It’s because of her work writing articles that our paths crossed as she asked to turn the tables and interview me about my blog and podcast for a future issue of the magazine. After that, I returned the favour and asked whether she would like to come on the podcast to talk about her work. It’s funny that we discovered we have an awful lot of things in common, including starting out in journalism and now working in marketing & communications. You can find her episode here.

The second April episode included a chat which was a total joy to record. I have honestly never laughed so much while recording an interview. My guests were husband and wife team Sean and Sara MacLeod. Sara is an avid crocheter who shares hermakes on Instagram. What makes her account stand out is not just her beautiful creations, but the stunning scenery of their home on the Cowal Peninsula on the West coast of Scotland AND her husband Sean. Sara describes Sean as her ‘crochet supermodel’ and he can be seen wearing all sorts of crocheted garments as well as being draped in blankets too. They are such a funny pair, and clearly Instagram agrees as they have a following of almost 30,000. You can find their episode here.

A favour before you go…

You might remember that this time last year, I ran my first ever 10k. It was a challenge to myself for my 50th birthday so I could say ‘I did one’. It was only going to be one-time-only event.

However, on the finishing line, Son Number 2 told me he was very proud of me and that when I do it next year, he would run it with me. I couldn’t very well say – “I’m sorry I’m not doing it again”. So, on 18th May (next Sunday – eek!), I will be running the Great Manchester Run 10k again, this time though I will have Son Number 2 with me at my side as we set off (then I won’t see him for dust!). He’s aiming to run it in under 1 hour, I’m aiming to just get round.

We are going to be fundraising for FareShare Greater Manchester, the charity that I work for and where Son Number 2 has volunteered several times. We have a Just Giving Page, so if you have a little spare cash and wouldn’t mind sponsoring our efforts we’d be most grateful – thank you!

Our race numbers have arrived so it’s official now!

And that’s all for this round up of April. I hope it was a good month for you and that life is treating you well. Until next time, thank you for stopping by!

Lindsay x

A Postcard from September 2024

Double rainbow over a green grassy field
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Double rainbow over a green grassy field

Hello there! Well, I blinked and then missed September! It was only 5 minutes ago that I was on holiday in Scotland at the end of August surely – how can we be on 4th October already?!

Although it went quickly, September was a good month for us with Eldest heading back to University, Number 2 son beginning A-levels and Son number 3 returning to school too. It’s been a bit full on with work, and despite having great intentions to keep up the momentum I managed to achieve with my crochet adventures during my Summer Craft Challenge, it has, I’m afraid to to say, rather fallen by the way side.

I have been working on something on the QT which I’m super excited to tell you about, but that will have to wait for now I’m afraid. I’m keeping my powder dry on it for the time being, but there will be a big ta-dah moment coming up in the not-to-distant future.

Despite my best efforts to keep up to date with my blog posts (I’m still due to share a Postcard from Scotland) I haven’t managed to, but my excuse is that my laptop died early in the summer and since then I have been struggling on with just my phone to post from. I’m thrilled to say that I am sitting here tapping away on my brand new laptop and it feels good after having had months without one! No excuses now.

Here’s a little look back at what I got up to in September!

Double Rainbow

Now, when I scrolled back through my phone to find some photos from the past month to share with you, I realised I didn’t take very many at all – so I am making up for the lack in variety with the sheer number of rainbow photos from one evening in the first half of the month. It had been raining and sunny in equal measure and I came round from the back of our house to spot this vivid rainbow in the sky in front of where we live.

That’s not over remarkable really, they do happen from time to time. What marked it out as remarkable was the fact it must have lasted for over an hour. It was so vivid and it was a double rainbow!

I drove Youngest to Scouts and spotted it on the field ahead of us (so was able to get him to take a photo)

Then, after dropping Youngest at Scouts, I drove back to the field, got out of my car (much to the bemusement of people sitting in traffic watching the crazy woman who was actually choosing to get wet) and took this lovely picture below!

I then drove round to visit my parents and you could see it shining there for about another 40 minutes – it was truly remarkable.

A finished item!

Do you remember I was working on some Granny squares during my Summer Craft Challenge (particularly when we were on holiday in Scotland)? Well I joined them all together and finished my *very loud and colourful* All You Need Is Love cardigan from Inside Crochet Magazine.

It was supposed to be made in a cotton yarn which I would have loved to have used but it was rather pricey, so I took a look in my stash, and found that I had comparable colours in my Stylecraft Special DK stash and only needed to get a handful of extra balls. I changed the main colour from cream/off white to dark grey and got cracking. I’m quite please with it. I even got it finished in time to wear it to Yarndale!

Yarndale 2024

Looking down towards Yarndale from the Yarn Walk

I made my 4th visit to Yarndale last weekend. I first went in 2016, back in the times before Covid when I actually had to get on a plane and fly over to the UK from Gibraltar to visit (imagine that – it feels like a lifetime ago!). I also visited in 2021 in the first post Covid festival and again in 2022. I didn’t make it last year, but a little bird told me that she would be there this year, so I had to book my ticket so I would get the chance to see her again. Can you guess who that little bird was?

Arriving at Yarndale

I got up early on Sunday morning for a 10am entry (thankfully Skipton is only about 75/80 minutes drive from where I live in Manchester) because there was someone special giving a talk at 11am – it was Eleonora from Coastal Crochet!

Eleonora giving her talk about her crochet along blankets and holding her first one – the Seaside Stashbusting Blanket

It was so nice to catch up with Eleonora and hear her speak about her many, many crochet along blankets. I vividly remember her posting on her blog back in 2018 (I think) that she was thinking of hosting a crochet along and inviting anyone who wanted to join her to make a Seaside Stashbusting Blanket. I was compelled to join in after following Eleonora and her yarny coastal exploits from the early days and it was an utter delight. Before long there was a huge community of coastal crocheters around the world hooking up Eleonora’s lovely designs.

I was lucky enough to meet Eleonora at Yarndale in 2022, and when she messaged me to say she would be going back again this year, I simply had to book my ticket! It was so nice to hear her talk about her passion for being creative and also to have a nice chat afterwards. I had my podcast head on while I was there and recorded a lovely chat with her for a future episode of Making Stitches Podcast, which will be coming your way soon.

After hear Eleonora’s talk, I went off for a wander around the many lovely stalls, I spoke to some truly fascinating people and managed to get to another talk – this one about the economics behind the British yarn industry which was really thought provoking.

Some woolly friends

I do love Yarndale, it’s such a friendly place filled with so much inspiration, I’m so glad I made the journey over the Pennines again this year.

There were some pretty impressive yarn bombed bollards outside Skipton Auction Mart. I remember being bowled over by all the yarny items on my first visit, and this is the first time since then that I have really paid attention to them.

There is so much work which has gone into making each one of them – all of them were works of art!

What I’ve been listening to

My latest audiobook loan was Elton John’s Me read by the man himself & Taron Egerton, the actor who played him in the Rocketman film. Blimey, that man’s had a life and a half. I found it very moving and utterly hilarious. There were times when I burst out laughing and others when I found myself in tears. Just as well I listened indoors!

And that, I’m afraid is it for September’s news – I was pretty rubbish at taking pictures of inspiring things this month. I promise to do better with October’s edition!

Until next time, take care of yourself, and thank you for stopping by!

Lindsay x

A Postcard from Yarndale 2022

Yarndale 2022
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A view of the Skipton Auction Mart from the Yarn walk

The last weekend in September is Yarndale, and this year, the yarn festival celebrated its 10th birthday. A week ago today, I jumped into my car and headed across the Pennines to make my third visit to Yarndale and it didn’t disappoint. Here’s what I got up to….

The famous Yarndale bunting

As always, the front entrance to the festival was decorated with metres and metres of Yarndale bunting, made by crocheters around the world (including one by me!) and sent to Skipton back in the early days of the festival. Another annual tradition was the introduction of a new Yarndale sheep… this year’s new addition to the flock was Tristen to mark the tenth birthday – do you get it? TrisTEN….

With his brightly coloured mandala body he was a colourful addition to the flock! I think they will need to look for a bigger display area for the sheep soon as they will run out of space to display them all!

The Yarndale flock

Tristen and friends weren’t the only woolly creatures at Yarndale this year, as usual, a number of ‘live’ woolly critters had come along to charm the visitors!

Yarndale can be a little bit overwhelming at times, there is so much to see and do and buy. I followed my plan for last years visit which was to do a full circuit of all the stands first before getting my purse out. On my initial wander I was fascinated to see this amazing yarny Shrek and pals created by the Hawes Yarnbombers. Isn’t it fabulous? So many hours of work must’ve gone into creating that – just brilliant! The stall was collecting donations for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance which was one of the charities being supported by Yarndale this year.

There was lots of bright crocheted and knitted bunting decorating the auction mart this year too and it certainly gave the place a lift.

Now to the yarn, well what can I say? There was so much of it, and it was gorgeous…

There was inspiration at every turn. The Cuddlebums hand dyed yarn was a riot of colour. I can’t resist a rainbow so a couple of skeins may have fallen into my bag (paid for of course!) to come home with me…

The highlight of my time at Yarndale this year has to be getting to hear Eleonora Tully from Coastal Crochet speak about her journey as a crochet designer as well as to meet her ‘in real life’. For those who don’t know Eleonora, she lives on the south coast of England and is inspired by her coastal surroundings – which is abundantly clear in her beautiful work.

It was lovely to be able to hear the way Eleonora goes from an idea, to choosing yarn colours and techniques to ending up with a new blanket design. It’s been a thrill to be able to watch Eleonora’s designs develop over the years and I clearly remember the day when she launched her first ever CAL (Crochet-ALong). It was her Seaside Stashbuster Blanket, and although I had about a gazillion other WIPs on the go at the time, I found myself digging into my stash to join in with it. That blanket became my Sandy Bay Blanket which I blogged about at the time – named after Sandy Bay in Gibraltar.

Later on came the Changing Tides blanket, another design inspired by Eleonora’s coastal surroundings. I thought it was time another blanket was added to my collection, so I had a go at that one too, but chose the colours to represent Catalan Bay in Gibraltar. That blanket became my Catalan Bay Blanket.

Although I’m no longer in Gibraltar, I will always have my Sandy Bay & Catalan Bay blankets to snuggle up in when it’s cold up north and I’m missing the Gibraltar heat! It also means that I feel linked to Eleonora and her crochet journey too as I was part of the community around the world which took part in the CALs – and it really was a special experience.

It was a real treat to meet Eleonora face to face at last!

I genuinely never thought the day would come when our paths would cross. Back when we first began our blogs about 7 years ago, with me in Gibraltar and Eleonora on the south coast of England, but thanks to Yarndale it happened!

Before I knew it it, it was time to head home. The Auction Mart was looking decidedly empty and I thought I had better head off before I was thrown out!

Outside the Auction Mart were a few yarn bombs on the grass. I have to say that this woolly representation of country fields is my favourite!

Standing at the top of the Yarn Walk steps and looking out across the valley. It really is in a beautiful spot. No wonder there is so much yarny inspiration in theses parts!

I remember on my first visit to Yarndale back in 2016, I set off along the Yarn Walk on the way into the venue and was blown away by the yarny lamppost covers. There don’t seem to be many of the original covers left from back then, but the new ones are equally as cheery!

The path through Aireville Park leads down to the Leeds to Liverpool canal, and that is where the Yarn Walk comes to an end.

I crossed over the canal on the bunting adorned footbridge and back into the Skipton town centre.

Thank you Yarndale, and thank you Skipton! It was fun. Goodbye until next time…

Thanks so much for joining me for my trip, if you would like to hear a bit of the atmosphere, you can listen to my latest episode of Making Stitches Podcast which features 10 chats I had with exhibitors at Yarndale, including a lovely conversation I had with Eleonora from Coastal Crochet. You can listen to it via this link or by searching for Making Stitches Podcast on your favourite podcast app.

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!

Lindsay x

Sunday Postcard #17 27.12.20

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Hello there! I hope you have had a decent Christmas – it’s been a strange one hasn’t it? Just like probably everyone else, we had a quiet one seeing limited people, but it was nice nonetheless. Now it’s the countdown to the end of the year and all that 2021 will bring – good things I hope!

Here’s this week’s Sunday Postcard…

Del Boy…

Last Sunday as Littlest and I popped out for a walk to deliver the last of our local Christmas cards, we were stopped in our tracks by a certain yellow Robin Reliant belting out music and shouting happy Christmas messages to bemused looking passers-by! It was quite a sight!

A Manchester Bee for our tree

As I picked up the last few last minute gifts for Christmas I happened across a fabulous selection of stalls in John Lewis in the Trafford Centre called Curated Makers. It’s a cooperative of local makers who create the most lovely crafts of all sorts. I treated myself to a Manchester bee for our tree. You can find Curated Makers on Instagram.

A pre Christmas walk at Dunham Massey

When we first arrived in Manchester in the summer I imagined that we would be regular visitors to our nearest National Trust property ‘Dunham Massey’ however because I didn’t have a National Trust membership at the time and because of lockdown that didn’t happen until this week. I treated us to a NT membership and booked for us to visit the deer park and gardens. It was wonderful.

The grounds were decorated for a special after dark Christmas experience but we enjoyed it in the daylight.

It’s such a lovely tranquil place and was managed so well by the staff and volunteers to be Covid safe. We will be back again soon if we can.

Christmas visitors

When we first moved into our new home in October, we bought a bird feeder for the back garden. It’s been rather unloved by our feathered friends so far but this week there were sparrows and thrushes fighting to get to the seed! Word must have got out that there were tasty treats available! I look forward to seeing many more birds in future!

Finished for Christmas?

‘Christmas Eve’ blanket from The Crochet Sanctuary

Did I finish my Crochet Sanctuary Christmas CAL in time for Christmas? Sadly not, but I am on the final part, so I’ll take that as a win! I’m hoping I can manage to get it finished before the end of the year if I possibly can.

Happy Stitchmas in podcast news!

On Christmas Day morning the latest episode of Making Stitches went online. This extra long bumper Christmas episode features several different makers sharing their ‘Stitch Stories’ from 2020. Among my guests were Eleonora from Coastal Crochet and Lisa & Lynda-Rose from the Crochet Sanctuary as well as four Making Stitches listeners who spoke to me about how their crafts have helped them this year.

You can listen by searching for Making Stitches on your favourite podcast app or just Google Making Stitches.

Thank you Eleonora!

Eleonora is top middle of the above mosaic

My lovely blogging friend Eleonora from Coastal Crochet published the most amazing blog post today all about Making Stitches! I’m utterly thrilled and chuffed to bits that she did this for me. Do please have a read…. you can find it here.

Eleonora’s Instagram post from today featuring Eleonora in a rather lovely red coat on Christmas Eve!

And that brings this week’s Sunday Postcard to an end. Thank you for stopping by. Do take care of yourself, and I’ll be back again soon. Happy New Year when it comes.

Lindsay x

A Catalan Bay Blanket Story

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Once upon a time (about a year ago) a lovely crochet designer called Eleonora published a crochet-along (or CAL) pattern for a new blanket called ‘Changing Tides’. The previous year, Eleonora had published another seaside themed blanket on her Coastal Crochet blog called the ‘Seaside Stash Buster’ which I joined in with and created my Sandy Bay Blanket.

Even though I had approximately 7,248 other crochet projects on the go at the time (well not quite, but it felt like it), I couldn’t resist having a go at Eleonora’s new project, and so it began…

Just like the previous year, Eleonora posted helpful You Tube videos along the way to help with tricky stitches and rows and soon had us all crocheting like pros!

I set off like a bull at a gate and didn’t take the time to plan what my colour choices would be, and decided (resonably early on) that I didn’t like what I had done so started again…

My project came with me on holiday…

…and before I knew it, I had a rather nice ‘changing tides’ sea developing in front of me. The name ‘changing tides’ is very appropriate because at the end of each row you turn your work and travel back the way you came in much the same way the waves do as they land on the beach.

It even made it down to the beach…

…those bobbles are rather time consuming, so I did a spot of bobbling on the bus…

…and still the tide came in.

And look … it even featured on Eleonora’s Instagram feed on one of her weekly round-ups! That made my day I can tell you.

By this point I felt that perhaps it was time to think about something other than just sea and waves…

And inspiration hit me. Last year’s blanket was based on Sandy Bay.

My Sandy Bay blanket from last year

Why not make a blanket based on another of Gibraltar’s lovely beaches…. Catalan Bay?

The brightly coloured houses gave me lots of excuses to use some different vibrant colours.

But what colour should I opt for first? What about the aptly named ‘shrimp’?

Shrimp was just the ticket for another row of bobbles and they could represent the buoys which hold up the nets in the family swimming area.

It felt good to see a pop of colour against all that blue. The buoys were finished during a short break in Spain while sitting under the cool of some trees.

And again, my blanket made it into one of Eleonora’s weekly round ups! What a thrill.

Time for more waves, and then finally dry land and a beach!

Then came the sandy bobbles, a terracotta coloured sea wall, and those brightly coloured houses which populate Catalan Bay. Behind the houses came the green vegetation which then gave way to the grey of the upper Rock and finally the sky and wispy Levanter clouds forming on the crest of the Rock.

I tell you what, those different colours were a bit fiddly and you do not want to see the loose ends that were on the back!

It’s taken an inordinately long amount of time to get to the end, but get to the end I have! It’s time for the big unveiling!

Last year, I was able to do my big ta-dah moment on Sandy Bay beach itself. This year, because of our current situation in lockdown because of the Coronavirus, my big ta-dah is just having to happen on my balcony… at least the sun’s shining!

Thank you very much Eleonora for yet another fabulous crochet-along pattern. Thank goodness I managed to get this one finished before you launch this year’s blanket (just a week before I believe!). The online community which was formed because of these blankets is truly wonderful. It’s so important to feel like you are part of a community, especially at times like this.

Until we meet again, Catalan Bay, thank you for your inspiration!

Sunday Sevens #135 6.5.18

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Hello, and welcome to this week’s Sunday Sevens, a little later than usual, but I still made it on Sunday! It’s been a busy day with lots of boring jobs to do. You don’t want to hear about that, so without further ado, here’s this week’s series of seven (or perhaps slightly more) photos from the last seven days.

Bank holiday getaway

Last weekend was a bumper long weekend for us here in Gibraltar. We had Monday off work and school for Worker’s Memorial Day and then Tuesday too for May Day (as it was 1st of May). We have the first of May off here rather than waiting for the first Monday in May as is the tradition in the UK. To all of my readers in the UK, I hope you are being blessed with some of the gorgeous Bank Holiday weather I have seen on the telly over these past couple of days.

We headed out of Gibraltar for a few days and went along the coast to Estepona. The above picture was of the queue of traffic trying to leave Gibraltar last Sunday, the photo below was taken on a tranquil evening stroll at the end of the day, along the coast in Spain.

A hole in one!

This mini golf course was the site of the greatest golfing moment ever seen in Andalucia. Forget Valderrama and the European Open, this is where I scored a hole in one! It took hours of practice too ;-).

Heading home

Our long weekend came to an end on Tuesday and it was time to head home and back to reality, but not before another round of crazy golf and the chance to admire some of the beautiful blooms on show in the hotel gardens. Isn’t this one a beauty?

Seaside blanket makes it to the beach!

I took my hook and yarn away with me on our short break and managed to catch up on the rows I had fallen behind on with the Coastal Crochet Seaside Stash-busting Crochet Along. I really enjoyed working on it while I was away from all the usual distractions of being at home. I even took it down onto the beach at Estepona with me for a photo shoot. And that shot made it into Eleonora’s weekly round-up of the CAL on Instagram. It’s slap bang in the middle – that made my day!

May Day Celebrations

We headed back into Gibraltar in time to catch the end of the May Day celebrations in Casemates Square. There was a political rally (which we missed) followed by a number of local bands and dance schools performing on the stage for the crowds. As you can see, we were blessed with some beautiful weather.

Say what you see…

Apologies in advance for the toilet humour, but one day this week I found myself sitting at the bus stop (our car is rather unwell and has been into the garage this week) and I spotted a sign for parking which I have passed countless times and not really looked at before. It’s funny that you can suddenly see something for the first time, years after looking at it. It made me chuckle anyway…

Gibraltar International Comic Con

The second Gibraltar International Comic Con came to the Rock this weekend. We went along yesterday and hung out with stars of Star Wars (there was a real life Ewok there), three Game of Thrones actors (yes, I know – how cool is that??) and Star Trek amongst other shows. One of the things which I really enjoyed seeing was the art work. These amazing comic-style illustrations were drawn by a local artist  (@liam_p_art on Instagram).

And that brings this week’s Sunday Sevens to a close. Thanks very much for stopping by! I’m linking with Natalie at Threads & Bobbins for this weekly blog series. I’ll leave you with a few photos from April including Gibraltar and our trip to London & the Jurassic Coast.

Sunday Sevens #119 21.1.18

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After last week’s sad demise of my trusty iPhone after 3 years of loyal service, I was very fortunate to have Mr Postcard buy me a new one (hooray!). As a result, normal Sunday Sevens service is restored and I have lots of photos to celebrate. Here’s this week’s edition of Sunday Sevens…

Sunshine after the rain

Last Sunday was a rather damp, grey and dull affair but we were treated to a rather lovely sunset. It’s amazing how a little bit of sunshine, even if it’s fleeting, can lift the spirits.

Joining squares

One of my many New Years resolutions was to finish some of the many on-going WiPs (works in progress) I have going on. This blanket was begun back in the summer of 2016, when I undertook my first Summer Craft Challenge.

The plan had initially been to create a blanket for our bed, but it soon became apparent that that would require a gazillion squares and I kind of ran out of oomph. Recently, I became aware of a place which is in need of small blankets for needy children, so I decided to pick up where I left off and get cracking with this again. When it’s complete I’ll show you how it ends up.

Dressmaking class

Over Christmas I was supposed to go shopping for some new fabric for my next dressmaking project in class. Unfortunately I failed in that matter. The local fabric shop in Gibraltar is up for sale and their stock is quickly dwindling. I had hoped to pop over to Spain to buy some fabric from a shop in La Linea, but unfortunately didn’t reckon on the whole 3 Kings holidays so that rather scuppered my purchase too. So, when it came to my dressmaking class this week, I decided to take one of my WiPs out of storage and use my time fruitfully pushing that towards the final straight.

Those of you who have been following my Sunday Sevens for a while may remember this skirt which was supposed to be made for me to wear to two special family weddings last year. I ended up falling in love with a dress in a shop window and that ended up being my wedding outfit, while this skirt was rather, well, forgotten about. Now it’s back out of its bag and ironed, I think I rather like it again, so I got busy on the hems. We’re not finished yet, but I’m heading in the right direction.

Med Steps training

I have managed to get up the Med Steps a couple of times this week. The first trip was on Wednesday, when it was gloriously sunny. Although we did have a water feature to get our socks wet in. A fresh water pipe which was coming out of the Rock high up above our heads had burst and for part of the route, the path had effectively become a stream. It made conditions a bit slippy underfoot. We reported it to the wardens but they were waiting for the appropriate authorities to come out and fix it. As it was high up on the Rock, it wasn’t a straight forward job.

The next day, Thursday, we went back up and what a difference a day makes! The two photos below were taken 24 hours apart. It was very blustery and grey but on a positive note, the water leak had been fixed, so we didn’t get wet feet this time!

Fabric shopping

On Wednesday, after my trip up the Steps I happened upon a good idea. I had been racking my brains on when I would get the chance to get into Spain to buy my dressmaking fabric whilst the Little Postcards were at school, and in between all my other commitments, when I suddenly realised it was Wednesday and that’s market day in La Linea. The market stands just on the other side of the border between Gibraltar and Spain, and is easily walkable from Gib in just a few minutes.

I keep meaning to visit the market but there always seems to be something which I need to do on a Wednesday morning, and I always forget until it’s too late. This week, though, I remembered. I’m ashamed to say that after eight and a half years of living in Gibraltar, this week was only my second visit to the market. Thankfully, my memory served me well and they did have fabric stalls. After much mooching I found some black stretchy satin and black crepey fabric for my next project. Here’s hoping I bought the right thing or I’ll be going back again next week!

My Year of Colour

Over on Instagram this week, there has been a mini trend of creating your year of colour. I thought I would have a go myself and was rather pleased with this rainbow of bright dots. The idea is, that the year of colour website sifts through all your photographs from the past year and picks out the predominant colours and weighs up how popular certain photos were before generating your year of colour. It’s just a bit of fun, but I enjoyed playing with the site.

Watercolour production line

I was on a bit of a roll at my watercolour class this week, working on three paintings at once! I finished last week’s jam jar posy, did some cyclamen in a pot and had a go at some purple foliage in another jam jar.

Another crochet project

I know, I know I didn’t need another new crochet project when I have others on the go (2 x blankets, 2 Little Box of Crochet projects, 2 shawls & 2 unicorns waiting in the wings) but I just couldn’t resist. I’m joining along with Eleonora of Coastal Crochet and her Seaside Stash-busting blanket CAL (crochet-along) well, it is stash-busting so it’s got to be a good thing right? Each week Eleonora will publish four rows of her pattern for you to crochet along with. I think I can manage 4 rows a week… maybe. Check out her blog or Instagram (@coastalcrochet) for all the details.

So there you have it, a rather longer than usual Sunday Sevens, but then I did have a new camera phone to play with. I hope you have had a good week this week and that the next seven days are kind to you. Thanks for stopping by!

I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for the Sunday Sevens weekly blog series.