Hungry eyes

I get a fair few people asking me about homemade gifts, which I take as a massive compliment. I love searching for appropriate gifts or thinking about things I've already made and how they could be adjusted to a suitable recipient.
No problem so far. But you see I then get what I call 'hungry eyes' I look at the new idea all shiny and pretty looking and immediately want in on it. Sometimes because I don't think the people understand the vision I have in my head (how can they, they aren't mind readers) so I think they might ruin it, then other times I just want to make it myself - just to prove to myself that I can.
This happened recently. Under the guise of being helpful, after a friend said she had lots on, I suggested I made some flags she needed for our church holiday club. She only asked me to cut the shapes out to save her a job, I may have gone too far...

They're multiplying!

So put your hand up if you've ever thought of an idea and just run with it only to have that idea completely crash and burn. Yeah me too. Well since I set up the page FattyCrafterTales and have opened a shop on Etsy I'm sad to say I have become much more cautious. I would blame age but then I would have to admit that I have aged and of course I haven't, not since I hit 25.

By the by, when I have my ideas I try now to actually think about them which is what leads me to this sorry little picture.

I had decided to extend the quilled paper range onto candles - look at me sounding all posh with my 'range' - but I also realised that paper and heat forms two elements of the fire triangle so could essentially catch fire. Not good: the flames are supposed to be pretty not terrifying. Also I didn't know how PVA stood under heat. So I sacrificed some quilled paper and attached them to a tea light. As you can see the papers stayed on the casing and as I am writing this you can deduce it didn't end in a house fire and lots of trauma. It did end with me cleaning lots as I had to wait the two hours it took the candle to burn. Grrr, I knew there was more than one reason I don't like candles.

After I knew it was safe I set about turning this:

(Lots of shredded paper)

Into this:

Those tiny coils take ages but I am thrilled to discover cotton buds are great glue applicators. Not in the least because I'm a messy crafter as well as a fatty crafter and I don't always clean up after myself and I do regularly have to throw brushes away because they are too hard with glue to use again.

Then it was just about sitting watching a film (Magdalen Sisters to be precise) while I applied the glue and coils to plain candles.

Firstly we have a rainbow candle:

And I promise you I am sick of the song - I won't be making anything more in a rainbow style for quite a while let me tell you. Then when I was feeling brave I used bigger coils to be a little bit more arty:

I have left the bottom bit empty although I did think about green to represent land but instead I thought it looked really nice with the blue and white.

At this point my film finished and I had run out of inspiration and coiled up papers - they take a while to make. So I put the little family together.

These will be going in my Etsy shop this week of I don't get any interest on Facebook or here. Hope you like them and if you can think of any more patterns I would love to hear from you.

Toodles x

When is it ok to crochet?

Most of you reading this will know that recently I've been bitten by the crochet bug. I've made six beautiful blankets and just had my seventh order www.facebook.com/fattycraftertales if you want to see the pictures.
The first blanket was a trial one because I liked the pattern and needed to stop putting food in my mouth when I really wasn't hungry - more challenging than it sounds. If you've never tried to diet it's kind of like trying to pick up eye lashes with chopsticks whilst blindfolded.
After that I spent every stationary moment with my hook and some wool but as I repeatedly reinforced this habit, as soon as I sat down, anywhere, I started to look for my hook. Now of course I know that some places you aren't supposed to crochet; at work for example I am sure it would be frowned upon (unless I got a new job teaching crochet.... there's a thought) I'm pretty sure whilst the sermon is in full flow on a Sunday the crochet hook is supposed to stay in my bag but what about other times?
Last week I went to the in laws. I had my crochet in my bag. I left without growing the blanket because there didn't seem to arise a moment where it would be socially acceptable to get my wool out. It's wool for goodness sake not my boobs but still when is the socially acceptable time? I was sat down, I was still able to contribute to the conversation but alas my hook and wool stayed stowed.
I've figured that if you come into my home while I am crocheting it's totally ok to keep going - obviously I would break to offer tea I am British after all - which makes me think if I just walk around crocheting all the time is it ok never to stop?