hortensia

Goodies from Miss Mouse

There has been an anxious wait for the past few days; a parcel had been sent last Thursday, but was taking a good while to arrive. But it's here at last:

Hmmm. Not quite what you were expecting?  Maybe this is a better picture:

Now these may look no better to you than the previous picture, but, oh boy! wait til next year when they:ll look like this:

Lots and lots of heartfelt thanks to Maureen - I want a jugfull of blooms just like that next summer. xx

Remember the felt?  Well, the colours were just perfect for something other than Christmas decorations; they also seemed perfect for this:

 There wasn't that much felt left over in the colours, so there are only four of them and they're going into the blogshop today.

Yes, everyone's got a picture of these on their blog, but I wanted to show and tell too. And let's face it, they'll come in very handy (!?) at Tynemouth in the winter months.

This next set of pictures is of more hearts for this Christmas - once I got going, there was no stopping:

P x

Christmas hearts

First off - apologies for the picture quality.  It's been that sort of a day, when the lights have not been switched off.  At all. Ho hum.

So for one reason and another, neither the craft fair from yesterday, nor the market at Tynemouth happened. Mostly very, very happy reasons for them not happening, so no hardship.  Today felt like a day off, so I..... worked all day in the sewing room, making hearts.

There are some other decorations, blue bauble shaped, but as I'm not too sure about them just yet, I'll give the photo's of them a miss for now.

It seems that the more you play around with sewing etc, the more fun you have and the more ideas you get.  As I was tidying (again - I really should get over the tidy desk syndrome) I started to play around with a couple of templates I had made up. And this is what came out of it:

Scottie dogs are becoming a favourite.

The good news is that the skin is beginning to fit again - many thanks to lots of you, but especially Maureen for supplying practical help too.

P x 

A start.... at least

Not sure what it is; may just be the change in the season.  Or the lack of light.  Or the mild, wet air.

But something just doesn't sit right at the moment.  A sense of not being comfortable in your own skin.

So,  not a lot of Christmas has been happening - even though I was all fired up at the weekend, only to watch it all drift away.  What has been good is making a new style of bag - and one which I've taken to using myself.

I've been good, though and intend to share, so have added them to the blogshop today.

Hope your days are a little brighter.

P x

500 comments - a thank you

This is for every single person who ever left a comment on this blog.  When I started writing it I could never have imagined a time when there would be 500 comments.  It seems so huge, so big a number, too much really, for me to understand properly.  There are blogs out there which get over 100 comments to each posting; but I don't compare myself to them.  My blog started as a journal, a way to get me through a difficult time, but grew into something so much more.  Now I think about the people who may read it as well as a place to post stuff about me; a definite two-way conversation.  So thank you.

There are so many beautiful ribbons out there, aren't there?  Sometimes it can be difficult to choose, but choose I did and these four made the cut.  Obviously Christmas is on my mind; I really can't wait to make a start.

This felt is the other part of Christmas which arrived (so very quickly) from Sarah - I'd been searching for a wool felt which would be good for machine sewing as well as hand, and also not too chunky, but in good, deep colours, too.  These hit the button each time.  And as for quickness, well, they were ordered one afternoon and they arrived the next morning.  Pretty good don't you think?

A market and a fair next weekend, so off to start cutting out and sewing. Such fun doing things for yourself, isn't it?

P x

labels and larders

I do realise that not everyone gets excited about labels, but there again, I'm guessing there's a fair few of us.  The last lot of A7 cards were from Bureau Direct, and were gorgeous. Perfect really. Apart from the price. Which wasn't extortionate, or unreasonable, just meant adding a little more to the prices. So, after a little investigation I found Paper Craft, which had the most important element - local enough to visit, so no delivery charges.  And they cut to any size you want. Absolutely perfect.

Much better than luggage labels (though I do love them) and now I can choose different colours for different products.  Bliss.

Now to the other part of the title.  Larders.  Is that an age thing?  Where one of the most important things in your life is a larder?  Well, so be it.  I love mine, and today was Getting All Spruce And Clean For Christmas day. Out of date products all binned, space cleared and all the shelves cleaned.  All ready to fill with the neccessities for Christmas baking and cooking. But I will refrain from showing the boring pictures.

I have managed to get the blogshop up and running, though there are sure to be glitches - isn't that what technology is all about? - and at the moment there are only the cushions in there. When I get back from Scotland I'll be putting a few more goodies in it.  Maybe even a few Christmas things. The link is at the top of the left side bar, or else click here.

P x
  

Let's just creep back in, without too many people noticing the absence...

Yesterday was Farmers Market day at Tynemouth, and, well, it was very good.  Surprised? Me? Well, after the past couple of markets there was a flicker of a wobble.  But now it's gone. Phew.  The fabric is from the stallholder next to me, who after reducing it once, then reduced it again after I sold her some tulip bulbs.  Oooh, lovely tulip bulbs.  It's a little like Christmas when that (very) big box arrives.  I realise that a dusty box of flaky bulbs is not quite what everyone sees as gorgeous, but to those of us in the know...

The bulbs are wrapped a little differently this year - the plain hessian sacks tied with ribbon are becoming, well, let's say over-used. (If even the bigger suppliers, like Sarah Raven are doing it, then you know it's time to find a different way to do it.)  So for yesterday's market I trialled two different ways: wrapped in brown paper and tied up like a parcel, or scooped up into squares of lime green hessian and tied with red garden twine.  A bit of a failure in terms of comparison - they both sold equally well. Hey ho, we'll just continue with both methods. Actually, if there was a difference, it was that if they were bought as a present for someone else, the green was chosen. If for themselves, they chose the brown paper package.

The other news is that I've decided to trial a blogshop.  Hmmm.  Well, like I say, a trial.  I've taken a couple of photo's so far and I'm going to sort them out today, so if you like you could take a look.

After sorting that out, there are Christmas decorations, cushions, wreaths and floral decorations to decide on.  It's ok to use that word now; lots and lots of people were asking for specific Christmassy things yesterday.

P x

Everything feels better in the sunshine

The sun is shining out of a clear blue sky, and I definitely feel better for it doing so. Especially as the tumble drier has died and the clothes are hanging outside.  I really don't like having laundry drying around the house - one clothes horse is about as much as I can take.

The Cath Kidston book is a joy, but why do I put myself through the agony of trying to follow a pattern?  Hopefully from now on I'll just trust my instincts and use the pictures as inspiration, and make them up in my own way.  This cushion has (finally) turned out just as I wanted:

You see - I wasn't even making the actual cushion in the book!

The sunshine has made the bedrooms look so  fresh in the sunshine, but I realised that there were a couple of pictures still to hang:

Now they're ready for two girls to stay in this weekend.  Hope the sunshine lasts - though they tend to bring their own with them no matter what the weather.

P x  

Fabrics and a bag

This is the most expensive craft type fabric I've ever bought -£19 + a metre.  But, hey, it's Japanese, gorgeous and will make a quilt to last forever. Worth it, wouldn't you say?  The way it looks vintage - ie washed many, many times yet still maintaining its vibrant colours - is perfect.

These fabrics are why I went to the shop in the first place. Now that green, wool felt fair sings out at you, and I can't wait to start using all of them.  But there's a market to prepare for tomorrow, and although the stock issue is in hand, I'm not so sure about the layout of the stall anymore.  It definitely needs more height, and a much better way to display the bags.  There are a couple of temporary measures that I'm going to do for tomorrow, but long term there needs to be a clearer, better way.  Any suggestions would be more than gratefully received.  There may even be something in it for the best suggestions.

For a while after the arrival of the beautiful Sew book, I thought it was going to end up as one of those books that are loved, yet never used ( can't just be me who has those sort of books) but eventually I just set to and made the bag that came already cut out with the book:

and I think it has come out pretty well.  The buttonholes were the most difficult thing about it - and that purely because I'd never attempted them before on this machine.  If I make it again, there will be lining and a pocket, but apart from that I think it's ok.

Off to set up a mock stall to see how it looks. Oh yes, and start crocheting another two dozen brooches.  Where do they all go?  Oh yes, that's what people buy.

P x 

Cath Kidston Sew

Just look what arrived today! So much earlier than I thought too.

And a bag, already cut out, ready to sew.

What shall I make first?  No surprise as to what I'll be doing this afternnon.

P x

Reds and loves

A few posts back I was lucky enough to have been given a blog award, and the proviso was that I would post about the things I love.  Well, the problem has been deciding what to leave out. A good problem, but still....

I love:

• my family
• my friends
• growing
• making
• baking
• whodunnits
• photography
• reading others' craft exploits
• the smell of the garden after it rains
• my life

I do hope that last one doesn't sound too precious; but it's always good to appreciate life when it is good.  We've all been in the other place.

In the oven now - Norwegian Cinnamon Buns.  The smell throughout the house is delicious, and I'm sure they'll taste heavenly, but it's a Nigella recipe, so the quantities are, somewhat approximate.  Hey ho.

Coffee this afternoon should be good.

P x