April has arrived and so to the tutorial for the Field of Flowers motif!

Many of you may remember I blogged about a field of flowers rug, an article featured in an issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine way back in June 2009. You’ll find the post here.

Back then I tweaked the pattern and created a few flowers to embellish a cushion. You’ll find the beginnings here.

I’ve now pulled the project out of storage, dusted off the flowers and made and a few more to complete my cushion.

So for those who would like to embellish a cushion or hook enough flowers to create a rug I’m sharing the tweaked pattern for you below.

You’ll need an assortment of yarn, I used 8 ply yarn with a 5 mm crochet hook.

I also purchased a ready-made plain cushion for this project.

Field of Flowers Motif

NOTE: Instructions are written in Australian/UK terminology. 

Ch 6, join with a sl st to form a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 3, work 2 tr into ring, ch 1, * work 3 tr into ring, ch 1, rep from * 4 times, join with a sl st into top of beg ch-3, sl st across to ch-1 sp.

Rnd 2: Ch 3, * work 1 dc into next ch-1 sp, ch 3, rep from * 4 times, work 1 dc into beg ch-1 sp.

Rnd 3: * Work 1 dc into next ch-3 sp, ch 3, work 6 dtr into same ch-3 sp, ch 3, work 1 dc into same ch-3 sp, rep from * 5 times, join with a sl st into beg dc.

Fasten off, ensuring to leave a long tail for attaching each motif.

Make as many flowers as required for your project.

For an embellished cushion, remove the insert from a purchased cushion and begin by placing flower motifs randomly, covering the entire front of the cushion, compacting the flower motifs to eliminate gaps.

Once you are happy with the placement of the flower motifs, carefully remove them in correct order and set them aside nearby your work surface.

Simply stitch each flower into place catching a stitch or two between each petal!

Voila!

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Happy New Year to you!

Chinese New Year celebrations are in full swing, welcoming in, the Year of the Horse.

This is a year of action, of galloping forward, of making great strides in anything you set your mind to.

Be purposeful!

Being the Year of the Horse I couldn’t help but feel drawn to crochet a horse or two as a souvenir. You’ll find the Double Happiness Horse pdf pattern in my store if you’d also like to make one or eight!

I’ve gifted a few to friends over the last few days and I also have one that has taken up residence on my desk for the year.

I love everything about Chinese New Year, I especially love fortune cookies!

To accompany my gifted horses I’ve been placing a handful of fortune cookies in take-out boxes and decorating the boxes by threading a length of red ribbon through a Chinese coin.

I found the small white take-out boxes and fortune cookies at my local supermarket.

The coins you’ll find at new age stores or online Feng Shui supply stores etc.

Simply fill each box with a handful of cookies . . .

Secure the box with red ribbon and a coin to decorate and Voila!

Every Chinese New Year I always purchase Your Chinese Horoscope by Neil Somerville.

In his 2014 book I particularly loved the following verse . . .

As we march through life,

we each have our hopes, our ambitions and our dreams.

Sometimes fate and circumstances will assist us,

sometimes we will struggle and despair,

but march we must.

For it is those who keep going,

and who keep their aspirations alive,

who stand the greatest chance of securing what they want.

March determinedly,

and your determination will, in some way, be rewarded.

– Neil Somerville

Wishing everyone a fabulous, favourable Year of the Horse!