On Saturday I was lucky enough to see the beautiful ceramic Poppies at The Tower of London.

Even at 10.00am the crowd was huge, each person taking their turn to catch a glimpse of the sea of scarlet and reflect upon the enormity and symbolization of the installation.

Incredible to think that every single Poppy represents a life lost in the First World War. That’s 888,246 British military – each person with their own unique story, who no doubt were much-loved and greatly missed.

As a crafter I was fascinated to learn how each handmade Poppy was made. Each unique flower starts its life as a rolled sheet of clay. Two 3-petal shapes are stamped out, pressed into shape and a circle removed to make way for the black cork centre. Once fired, the Poppies are packed off to a team of assembly volunteers who add the metal stalk in the moat @ The Tower.

The first Poppy in Paul Cummin and Tom Piper’s Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red project was “planted” back in July, the last will take its place on 11th November, Remembrance Day.

Like many other people, I was too late to buy a Poppy – so guess what? Out came the crochet hook! My own miniature Tower of London inspired Poppy creation.

As with the ceramic Poppies at The Tower, this crochet Poppy, is made from two sets of 3 petals with a separate black centre.

Once assembled the Poppy is held on high with a metal wire so it can sway gently in the breeze.

If you want to make your own Poppy, you might want to check out my beginners pattern here. Wear your Poppy with pride and as always, please remember to pop a donation in your local charity box.