So Exciting!

Amazon tell me it's on the way...

I pre ordered this last year, I'm a big fan of Selina Lake and can't wait for it to arrive (estimated for delivery tomorrow!)

Lazy Day

I have a day off today but for the first time in quite a while I've not done any crafting. This is beacause I have overdone the sewing and have a rather painful (and claw-like) hand!

Instead I have had a lazy day, starting with tea and a chat with my friend, Jane. We had things to discuss about our next craft fair (and a lot else of course!)

I had delivery of a new 'toy' so some playing was required...

and the postman brought me a new magazine and catalogue to drool over

and some new craft supplies,

 really love those flower stamps!

I fancied something hot for lunch so the microwave cooked me some ready prepared cabbage and leek and I stir fried some chicken

and followed it with some of Mr B's birthday cake

The biggest decision of today is which book to read next!

Have you read any of these?

And it's not even 2pm!

Well, you can't say you don't get exciting posts on this blog!!!

Hope you are all having a good day, whether lazy or not.



Two Wrongs and a Right

Today is one of those days where I'm finding crafting totally frustrating! Things just don't seem to be going right,

the much easier method I found for making a loose cover for a notebook isn't working (I can't get the measurements correct!) I've unpicked it and re sewn so many times it just looks a mess and I'll have to scrap it.

I have an idea to use up left over scraps of fabric. The prototype turned out acceptable, although very rough around the edges (literally). The next one however, was rubbish and will also be scrapped.

I am working on a commission for a brooch and that is going better thankfully.

This has cheered me up though, I commissioned a talented friend to make me some crochet coasters and here is the result. Don't think there's anything in that mug, I have to build up to that (don't want them ruined you understand!)

I suppose we all have days like this, don't we? I am going to cut my losses and go and have a lovely realxing hot bubbly bath, read my book and hope for more success with my crafting later.

I hope you are all having a super Sunday.

 



Today...

...I have been working to find an easier, faster and neat way of making brooches to sell at the next craft fair. I have managed neat and (slightly) easier but I don't think they can be made any faster, they will have to be a labour of love as I really want to sell them.

The pink and grey one is the winner so far in the neat category

 (bottom left).

WOYWW 194

Remember me? I'm the one who loves visiting other peoples work desks (OK - being nosey) but never seems to join in these days. I have a day off work today so I thought I'd join in with you all.

I think I may have mentioned before that I am not a tidy crafter and here is the evidence, my actual working area is getting smaller and smaller.

(The jug has water in it to fill the iron)

Shall I show you the other side of the room?

Oh go on then...

shocking, isn't it?!

And here is my gorgeous sewing companion, Timmy

He's very quiet apart from the odd snore and is very patient when it comes to sharing his chair with all sorts of bits and bobs.

Mostly, I enjoy silence when crafting but today I am listening to the brilliant Alfie Boe on the ipod.

What, if anything do you listen to when crafting?
(PS. photos taken Tues 19th pm)



More Makes

Well, my frenzied making continues!

Today I made some pincushions and neddlecases, I think I will sell these as two sets and make more to sell individually.

(Excuse the pins, I save all the hand finishing

for when I attend the Meet and Make evening

sessions!)

That is, if I can bear to part with the crazy patchwork one that I've fallen in love with (as if I need another pincushion!).

 I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

Crafty Individuals Challenge

As soon as I saw the theme for the CI Challenge for February I knew which stamp I would use - my current favourite Alice Palace design CI 372. I also knew I wanted to use it for a textile picture, I think these stamps lend themselves beautifully to use on fabric.

I also used my current favourite fabric to (hopefully) look like a meadow and a pale blue polka dot for the sky. I stamped the design on to the blue fabric and then again onto some tiny red polka dot fabric, cut out the crowns and attached them over the original image. I then cut out a red polka dot heart as the theme is 'For my Friend'.

Excuse the poor picture quality, I'm struggling with the light here!

I have to confess to loving this much more than I thought I would, I love the simplicity of the design and the spring like colours. Rather selfishly, I am NOT going to give this to a friend but keep it for myself! However, I am thinking of making something similar to sell at the craft fair.

There are some great entries to the challenge and a 25% discount on CI products just for entering. I see that there are two other entries using this design (both great), not surprising really as it's so perfect for the theme, pop over and take a look. 

 



Frenzied

I have so many ideas buzzing through my head for new things to make at the moment I can't keep up. I know myself well enough to accept that this will not last so I'm trying to make the most of it.

My friend Jane and myself have another craft fair planned for April, one of the things I had planned to make was loose covers for notebooks, I made one but it turned out to be very time consuming and I didn't really like the finish - the visible stitching on the outside bothered me and I won't sell it.

 After a tip off from a friend I bought this magazine at the weekend, I wasn't overly impressed on first reading it as it contained many projects that I'd already seen in books (this seems to be getting more common, doesn't it?)

BUT...it did contain a project to make a loose cover for a notebook, and it appeared to be a much more simple method than the way I had made mine.

As I didn't want to waste yet more fabric I decided to make a covered notebook for the Meet and Make group as it wouldn't matter too much if it wasn't perfect, and here it is...

not perfect, but a much simpler and neater way of doing it and 

practice makes perfect, so 'they' say.

Fabulous Fabric

Like most, if not all, of you lovely people I LOVE fabric!

I have a lot of beautiful fabric. The problem is I can't bring myself to spend money on plain, basic fabric. This causes me many problems, and often has me desperately searching through my stash looking for something vaguely

suitable when plain is required.

 Until now, that is...

I've discovered some gorgeous basic fabrics that I'm not only happy to spend my money on but that I actually long to buy more of!

Meet Moda cross weave - a gorgeous soft fabric, available in the most beautiful shades.

 The fabric is woven with two different colours, like chambray.

My favourite colourways are aqua and green and red and white.

Originally, I purchased these colours from The Eternal Maker in Chichester, they stock a small selection online and hopefully will add to it sometime.

In the meantime I've ordered some more from the USA through Etsy, I'm finding it quite difficult to track down in this country!

(Any tip offs gratefully received!)

Above are some glasses cases made with the new fabric.

I'm not sure this is actually going to solve my problem as I love the fabric so much I'm reluctant to use too much and run out!!

 

What is your favourite fabric of the moment? Are you a more practical buyer of fabric than me? Do tell...

Colour!

Todays sunshine has made me see colour everywhere and I've had great fun playing and photographing my colourful crafty bits!

Some of my latest craft fair makes lined up and waiting to be finished.

A friend and myself were lucky enough to find some wooden thread reels yesterday for 20p each in the CS. This inspired me to get out all of the ones I already own (mostly bought in CSs for about 30p!), I usually display them as in the first picture, and had great fun this morning arranging and photographing all of them together.

Pretty ribbons

and

colourful embroidery thread

and wool - all tidied.

Even the scraps look pretty!

 

I hope you are enjoying sunshine wherever you are.