Holding Mummy's Hand

Sewing Mojo

2012-01-30T22:55:00.000Z

The mornings may be colder but you can't beat a sunny winter's morning.

I think I must be solar-powered, as it really get's me moving!

You may have caught a peek at my Christmas present (to myself!) in the Dolly Sling post..I'm sooo happy to finally have a fully working sewing machine!

I've got a Janome DC3050, from eBay for £180 and she's lovely!

I've got feet and stitches I don't know what to do with but it's the basic's I love, the ability to feed material through with no pushing or pulling and having adjustable speed control - it's effortless.

So after feeling nervous about actually using her instead of gazing wistfully at her, I jumped straight in, not worried about technique or looks, just getting down to some simple sewing. You know that feeling where you don't care how it turns out as it's the actual process of doing it that's the fun bit?

Which is fortunate as with the project below, I forgot to leave the opening for turning out and had to unpick and (hurrah!) do More sewing!!

So firstly I've finished Rowan's Christmas present!

The rectangle of knitting has now been backed with this gorgeous giraffe safari print and I added in a few ribbon taggies around the edges.

I've had a go at making a dribble bib, using a hungry caterpillar fat quarter and an old terry towelling cot sheet. Used one of the machines fancy stretch stitches for it as it didn't feed properly with a straight stitch.

A last minute project is a Kirtle! My daughter is having a Tudor day which requires a costume, so I found on the Hampton Court Palace website an actual pattern for a girls tudor style bodice dress.

I'm only loosely following the instructions as it doesn't need to be accurate. I got the green fabric from the charity shop for £3 and also bought a child's dress for the net underskirt for £3.

Lastly is my largest project, still in progress, the Hungry Caterpillar quilt, I got this from the Festival of Quilts in August and have just started it, hopefully it will be a play mat for Rowan.

It's really simple, the hardest part for me is cutting straight lines with my rotary cutter and too-small cutting mat (bigger is definitely better!) and then sewing a straight line! It's harder then it looks, would love a 1/4" foot for the machine!

Still I'm enjoying it and I think it'll look great when finished.

Knitting Round-Up

2012-01-21T11:00:00.000Z

I've been on a knitting high recently, must be the winter weather, it's so lovely getting comfy on the sofa and immersing yourself in a pattern (until it goes wrong!).

All details are on Ravelry - My name is: HoldMyHand,do add me as a friend so I can see what you're up to too. If you haven't signed up to Ravelry you really should, it's such a fabulous resource and I love seeing how many projects I've finished since I first started knitting a couple of years back, I think I'm slowly improving!

Dolly Sling

2012-01-19T21:34:00.000Z

As a belated Christmas gift, I promised my five year old a dolly sling. These are available to purchase from the fabulous Original Stitch, either as a PDF pattern to make your own or as a finished item.

Having time on my hands and a stash of fabric that needs using, I opted for the pattern.
The pattern for this is graded as one of their 'advanced' - 'Needs loving care' but it's not really tricky, you need to take your time with some of the pieces and there are lots of curves!
The hardest decision is what fabrics to use and what to use as the batting - as all Original Stitch's products are made with recycled/pre-loved fabrics, their suggestions are old towels, heavy fleece or old ironing board covers, sadly I didn't have anything very dense, just some leftover cotton quilt batting, but it was a bit thin so on the front piece I did add a little iron-on interfacing to give it some rigidity. My daughter helped pick the fabric, the roses print was from an old dress of hers.

The instructions were comprehensive and include good diagrams, which are better for me! The pattern has just been updated incidentally to simplify a couple of the sewing up stages. I must admit that I didn't do the flat side seams that were in the original pattern, as it seemed too fiddly, so I think it was a good decision to update them. Once I'd cut out all the pieces (and I even got the iron out to press as I went along!) it only took me 2 days to complete (working in baby sleep times!).
I finished this afternoon and was very pleased with myself! The verdict of the five year old? Well she's tried all her dolls and teddys in it but will she pose for a photo? No!
Surprisingly the seven year old was very interested but the straps are too short for her, so I may be running up another one soon!

Dusk Walk

2012-01-16T22:55:00.000Z

Playing Games

2012-01-16T22:24:00.000Z

Happy Belated New Year!

Hope you've all greeted this New Year well and maybe made some plans for the coming year?

I thought I'd give details of the games we've spent a lot of time playing recently.
Last year we were introduced to UNO and loved it, even my 4-5 year old could play.

So we've tried to find more card games we can all learn, I've got a copy of 'Waddingtons Illustrated Card Games' which has a section on children's games but they can also be found online, this site has all our current favourites:http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/card_games_for_kids.htm

We like Old Maid, My Ship Sails, Snip Snap Snorem & Rolling Stone at the moment.

I got them some card holders to try to make the handling a bit simpler which seems to help.

For Christmas I made sure the girls got lots of board games, ones they could play together or for all of us as a family.

Guess Who Extra
KerPlunk
Mouse Trap
Hello Kitty The Game
Pop up Pirate

Game of Life, this has been recently updated and we enjoyed playing this as a family, the rules aren't too complicated & is a lot simpler than my '80's version thankfully!

Magic Cauldron Game, this is an Orchard game (love these!) for my 7 year old, it's a maths game where you have to find the correct sum that makes the number you have picked. The Magic part is that to find out if you're correct you have to rub the back of the sum card, which has a heat sensitive coating to reveal the answer.

Run,Run as Fast as You Can, another orchard game, this one for the 5 year old. You have to move round the board to get to the river, first to cross over wins, you have animals from the story who you use to try to stop your opponents & you have to use a spinner to try and get across the river first. A simple game that we all played as a family.

The girls also got a Wii game each, Scooby Doo First Frights which the eldest enjoys, you have to use the nunchuck (so 2-handed play) but it's not too tricky, a game for an older child who has had experience with a Wii controller.

The youngest got Barbie Jet Set & Style, which is a good simple game for her, previously she's only played the Peppa Pig game as she finds using the controller quite difficult but this is a excellent next step game, very basic controller use, rolling, swishing, simultaneous button pushing. Basically you style Barbies friends, doing hair, nails and clothes, which she loves!

We've spent a lot of time...

2012-01-01T13:59:00.000Z

playing games this Christmas

Didn't realise that we hadn't had the TV on at all on Christmas Day until Boxing Day!

Right off to play cards!

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-28T14:24:00.000Z

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, spent with nice people, relaxing. Or if that was just some mythical nirvana you dreamt of, I hope the New Year will bring some opportunity instead!

I thought I'd show you what I managed to rustle up for a few Christmas presents this year. Not being at work and having a baby that naps has been quite good for having crafty time! Having a temperamental sewing machine has not though!

So first up is Alfie dog

This came in a kit by Dandelion Designs which I got from the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in Birmingham last February. For £10 it contained all the bits you needed, plus patterns for a large or small dog. Alfie the large dog is supposed to be a tree decoration with a ribbon hanger and a secret pocket in his back for a gold coin. As this was for my Mum, who only has a small Christmas tree, I decided to omit these details and instead tried to stuff his legs more and make him stand up as an ornament. This was my first time doing blanket stitch (I know! I don't know why I've never tried it before) so I think I need more practice at keeping it uniform and neat but I think it came together nicely.

Now for the last couple of years I've tried to do knitted toys for the girls (monkeys last year, mice before that). Last year thankfully my Mum did one & so again this year we chose fairly large animals to tackle, thinking we had time!

Let me start by saying that if you choose to use a novelty yarn for the first time, buy ONE ball first and have a knit with it BEFORE you commit to buying lots of balls and the patterns!

(NB. purchased from Deramores which was really speedy and better value than my LYS)

You already know this?! Ah just me with a rookie mistake then!
The yarn in question is Sirdar Snowflake and pattern details can be found on my Ravelry page.

These were NOT fun to knit!
The way the fur looks when it's finished is lovely though and my girls love the soft feel BUT boy is it a pain to knit with! You can't see the stitches well, so keeping count is eye straining, increasing into it when a) you can't see the actual stitch properly and b) there is no ease in the yarn is tortuous! We gave up doing stocking stitch and just did all rows as knit as it was easier.
Getting the desire to knit this was very hard, if it hadn't have been Christmas I don't think I would have persevered!

Neither of our animals looks anything like pattern pictures either!
The plan had been to knit an animal for each child, sorry Rowan but being the smallest we knew you wouldn't mind (!) but neither my Mum nor I could face another one!

To rediscover my knitting mojo I did my first cabling attempt, which I really enjoyed and wasn't difficult. I made a mug hug (see Ravelry) for one of my daughters teachers, which I know is one of those 'novelty' gifts which are not in the least bit practical but it was really fun & quick to make.

I also ran up a few fabric bookmarks (it was during these that I fell out of love with my sewing machine! Not being able to sew the thinnest Liberty tana lawn is just stupid frankly!) using a 'tiny' amount of the lovely Hello Kitty Liberty fabric that my best friend bought for me as a New Baby gift! It felt wrong to cut into it but it was perfect for the job.

Now on the other side of this I tried this year to shop crafty as well.

I read a lot of blogs/Twitter feeds from some very talented people so thought I should actually support these by trying to buy handmade presents that I've seen and loved over the past year. And a new baby is a great way to buy gifts that mean something, being the third we've received/bought a lot of noisy plastic toys over the years but this time I really wanted to buy better, to have less gifts but of a better quality, gifts to treasure and keep.

Being only three months I knew I wasn't going to get Rowan many toys, as she's quite happy just 'looking', especially at her sisters (lots of big smiles for both of them!).

I did want to get her an activity arch as she spends a bit of time on the floor and thought she might like some practice at reaching/hitting things!

I found this wooden one from Ikea to be just what I wanted, beautifully made, good baby colours, lovely sounds when hit and a good price £19.99
Not an annoying light or sound in sight!

Now I've seen Sophie on lots of parenting websites, she's supposed to be good for teething as she's made from natural rubber and dyes, she also has a squeaker inside, so this time round I've finally bought one to try, I got it from a seller on Amazon.

On the teething subject I also wanted a wooden teether toy, something natural, tactile and long lasting.

Looking on Etsy (they have an app now!) I found this lovely giraffe by Little Alouette and it is beautiful, buttery soft, easy to grab this will be kept forever, I love stroking it myself!

It came speedily all the way from the US at only $19.50

From the Hands of Kitty Eden

I follow Sara's blog and twitter feed and know how hard she works at creating lots of lovely machine embroidered items all year, so when I saw her Baby's First hangers on her Facebook page I knew I had to have one! I got to choose the fabric and personalise it with a name and when it arrived I was so pleased. It was better than I hoped for, the quality is superb, this will be one of those Christmas decorations that come out every year and are treasured. I want a different one that I can hang up all year round now!

Next onto The Linen Cat

Beth has a lovely blog and also tweets and makes amongst other things the most wonderful soft toys, which are quite sophisticated, toys that beg to be played with and kept forever

I'd admired Beth's cashmere bears in the summer, so the bright bear went on my list too.
Another wow when it arrived, I can't describe how soft she is, I was severely tempted to keep this for me, she is adorable and perfect for babies, a good size, simple and tactile with a lovely face. I must mention how beautifully packaged she was too!

For the girls I got two art folders from Funky Diva Designs as they're really enjoying colouring at the moment, inside the folder is space for pens and paper. Anna has a great website (with lots of handmade items) where you can choose your fabric and will also add a name.

I enjoyed the Christmas shopping this year, not being at work I was able to start early and got 60% of the girls toys from eBay, even buying the handmade gifts I tried to get long lasting useful toys.

I did feel slightly guilty that they didn't get the toys they'd asked for, (mostly taken from the TV adverts) Dancing Danni/Toffee the pony etc but I hope I'm not alone in not wanting to waste money on toys that can only be played with a handful of times?

The 'plastic' toys I did get (I love Ponies/Barbie/Polly Pocket - mostly all secondhand) can join the ones we have already to make bigger playtimes.
I'm not looking forward to the teenage years when they may want expensive electronic toys, although at least they'll know then that it's not Father Christmas supplying them - 'who can get anything' apparently!

Did you get/give any handcrafted items for Christmas? If you've blogged about them do leave a link in the comments as I'd love to see what you've been up to too.

This long post was made possible by a bout of insomnia and trying to avoid the 'out-laws'!!

Merry Christmas Everyone

2011-12-23T22:40:00.000Z

Merry Christmas to you all, I hope you all have a peaceful Christmas with lots of fun and laughter and that you get to spend it with people who love you.

I look forward to being able to share with you the pictures of the gifts I've made this year soon. Sadly not many as my sewing machine has been playing up again (fingers crossed that the New Year will bring some development on that!), hopefully they will be liked!

Christmas Vintage Goodies

2011-12-21T17:12:00.000Z

Golly I'm afraid it's been ages since the Vintage & Handmade Christmas Fair and I haven't shown you what I bought!

I have finally found a panda! I've been looking for the right one for a while and Bert is perfect! He was from the lovely Cowboys & Custard stall and is now very happy on my shelf.

I hope to use the buttons in some corsages and I finally got some Christmas twine, 5m for £1.50 at Shabby Chick.

I bought this for my eldest who like me before her is mad about Enid Blyton. This was from 'This 'n That'

Wish I'd bought more of these from Penny Choo, she does have an online shop though!

This is my sort of cooking book, good solid British home cooking recipes, I shall try one out soon!

This was from 'Textile Treasure Seeker's' stall.

Postcards of some of my favourite Ladybird books, I shall be framing these in the New Year, again from 'This n' That'.

I also got a fabulous fleecy poncho but I can't find details of who it was from. Its' something a bit different for me but a steal at £6 and the dark teal colour is my favourite, I'll get a photo when I find a denim skirt to go with it.

I haven't managed to catch up on people's blogs about the fair, but I thought it was much quieter than usual? I must say that I didn't buy any fabric this time like I usually do, I can't buy anything now unless I have a project in mind to try and curb my spending!

So it would be interesting to hear if the seller's had a good day. I wondered whether people didn't travel from far because of petrol cost, whether the people who did come spent less or is the Vintage 'boom' dying down?

Either way, me & my Mum had a good time! Especially the tea room and the gingerbread house cake, so much so that my Mum's ordered the tin with recipe!
Will have to post a photo when we try it out, which hopefully will be before Christmas!

It's Beginning to look a lot like....

2011-12-02T10:17:00.000Z

One day to go!!

If you've never been, it's worth the drive!

Hopefully I'll be childless for the day so I can browse without being interrupted, see you there!

10 Weeks...Where DOES the time go?!

2011-11-29T15:32:00.001Z

My wonderful amazing third daughter is ten weeks old this week and like a cliche the time really has whizzed by, I can't remember her not being here. The fact that the calendar keeps reminding me of the changing dates is a little scary, it's going to be Christmas before we know it and then it'll be another year. I can vividly remember last Christmas and then finding out I was pregnant in January means that 2011 has been all about this baby. I wonder what 2012 will be remembered for?!

Home life is slowly settling down, the older girls have been fantastic, so understanding and helpful, I look at them and remember how much they've grown and how proud I am of them. They're a constant reminder of how quickly the baby years pass and to make the most of them! I think that's why all the disturbed sleep, all the crying hasn't really bothered me as much this time (it's not been nice though!) I know it's all part and parcel and that everyday Rowan is changing and growing.

It's also nice to be reminded how each baby is their own person, with their own personality and what worked for one may not for the next. You need to learn about this new person, trial and error, just like it's your first! She does amaze me though, every smile melts my heart and unlike her sisters she's amazed me by learning to suck her thumb (I'm sure I won't be so happy about this when she's 6!)

Here's to the next 10 weeks!

Autumn came

2011-11-24T21:19:00.000Z

While I've been busy with a new baby, it appears that Autumn arrived and also may have left now. It's been a strange season of showers and sunshine, warm and cold and I feel like I've missed it.

Being detached from 'normal' life at the moment I seem to experience time in a different way, having a different sleep pattern, being on a different 24hr clock means I feel a little out of step with the earths timing.

Although, being awake regularly at 2am, means I get to hear our neighbourhood owl again and being woken up at dawn means I hear the birds waking up too!

There's definitely a sense of time with the third child. It brings patience and understanding, because you know that nothing stays the same for long, I won't always be awake at 2am, everyday brings change, you may not see it while looking, but like the seasons, when you stop you realise how much time has passed already.

Witney Feast 2011

2011-10-07T15:59:00.000+01:00

I now know it's autumn, as the Fair is in town, this means back to school, conkers and darkening evenings, but actually I quite like this, it makes me think of casseroles and bread baking, being cosy in the evenings and knitting.

Nursing Cover

2011-10-04T18:19:00.000+01:00

I wanted to quickly share a new make from this week in case it's of use for anyone else. I found this link to a DIY nursing cover last week and it was so timely it was spooky as I had a bid in on eBay for a Bebe au Lait nursing cover - these retail for about £25 on Amazon and even on eBay they go for at least £12-£18.

When I saw the tutorial on DIY Maternity I was amazed I hadn't thought to make one as it is really just a rectangle of fabric with a neck strap!

I used some Ikea fabric I had in my stash, which is nice and light, you don't want the baby to get too hot under there!

Now you can use proper plastic boning but that would have meant spending money so as the tutorial author tries I went for the budget DIY version, I took a plastic tub (M&S chocolate crispy treats!) and I tried using the lid lip but it wouldn't bend enough, so I just cut a length from the main body of the tub instead. It's a bit more flimsy but holds the arc shape, so we'll see how it holds up.

I had to fit making it into the baby's nap times, so it took me a day (!) but in real life it's a real simple 1-2hr job and I would definitely recommend making one in pregnancy just in case you need it.

Now it should give me the confidence to breastfeed wherever I need to, as it's only been with this baby that I've got to week 2 and felt ok about breastfeeding. With the other two I never enjoyed it and got on much better with bottle-feeding, so the whole having to breastfeed in public is never something I've had to do before, so I am a little apprehensive but with my new cover I should have no problems, apart from finding a place/seat to actually do it in town now!

We survived the 1st Week!

2011-10-03T13:27:00.000+01:00

Well we have survived the first week!

Its been long, it's been short, it's been quiet and it's been busy. The 'babymoon' period is like being in a parallel universe where time goes at a different speed or it's like being on a completely different planet!

Normal everyday things don't bother you, like paying bills, it's the life basics of eating & sleeping that concern you. With baby number three it does mean that you know that life goes on, you get more perspective, so what that you've only had 4 broken hours of sleep, the other siblings still want their school packed lunches!

I must say that both my girls have been absolutely fantastic, taken everything in their stride and already have an unconditional love for their new sister.

Summary of the first week:

Sleep deprivation is an effective torture tactic!

Things I have learnt this week....

Essential Items:

Mothercare pk 48 maternity towels - good big pack size, equals 14p per towel, am going to have to buy another pack as typically you always need more! The pack does say that 48 will roughly last you the first week, wish I'd read that while in the shop!

Old pants - rather than those hideous uncomfortable disposable ones!

Breastfeeding pillow - I got mine from a car boot & with all three they've been invaluable, I think it's best to get one that's quite firm/well padded as it helps get baby up to your boobs without slouching over!

Things I didn't need:

Newborn outfits! I should have known that having larger than average babies this one wasn't going to be petite but we've gone straight into the 0-3 sizes, the newborn size didn't even fit on the first day!

Things I wished I'd ordered sooner:

A Nightlight for those pesky night feeds, my bedside light is too bright but you need a bit of illumination so you can get the latch on properly! I've just ordered one from Amazon (Babytec Autofade) so will let you know if it's any good!

Best gifts (ideas for gifts):

Nappies (size 1&2), wipes, soap, hooded towel. All practical presents and really appreciated when you're a bit cash strapped, if bottle feeding I'd suggest a box of (correct) formula as that stuff is expensive!

Failing that vouchers are very useful (Boots or Mothercare come to mind).

Toiletries for Mum- something sensitive but a bit luxurious, something they wouldn't normally splash out on)

Box of chocolates for Mum! No explanation needed!

Now there's flowers, they could appear in this heading or the next depending on what they are. The best style are some that come in a vase and need no intervention, no new mum wants to be flower arranging, faffing about trying to find a vase!

Worst gifts:

Clothing! You end up with way too many, usually all 0-3mths and usually in styles/colours you don't like! I hate pink and never dress my babies in much of it if I can help it so any pink clothes are I'm afraid relegated to the Yuck pile - usually destined for the car boot/eBay. Or alternatively enclose the receipt so the recipient can change it rather than being a wasted gift.

Thank you for all your kind comments/well-wishes, they have all been really appreciated.

Happy to announce the arrival of...

2011-09-23T12:45:00.000+01:00

Rowan Jude

Baby girl arrived safely on Monday 19th September 2011 at 10.05am.

Born at home, delivered by Daddy, 9lb 1oz.

All healthy and happy!

Getting things done

2011-09-19T09:10:00.001+01:00

Thanks to maternity leave I've been able to straighten out our home, I'm afraid I'm not naturally tidy and I usually let things build up until I'm overwhelmed by the mess! Well, our house was at that stage again, so I've been having a blitz, not just a put things away and hoover type clean, but a real sort through things and chuck away. A deep clean, a finding places for things type of clean! I've started room by room, the kids first! Trying to designate areas/boxes for different types of toys etc and *whisper* even thrown old/broken/rubbish toys away! They haven't noticed, which means they weren't loved and that we have too many anyway!

Storage is our real problem and at the moment we don't have money to invest in any, so I've been making do with what we have and clearing out what we don't need, which means lots of books gone, old clothes & shoes gone and even a sort out of my fabric stash! I managed to only keep really lovely fabric, most of the sheets/duvets I've bought from charity shops thinking they'll be useful, have had to go back to the charity shop (where they'll at least generate more money for them) as I can't justify keeping everything when I'm trying to make room for a third baby in our two-bed shoebox of a house!

I've actually moved furniture to hoover rather than going round it! Which hasn't done much for my painful pelvis though :(

I've had some fabulous help from my family with painting the hall and our feature wall in our lounge - which is now a more darker teal colour and looks fab.

I've sorted out all the pictures I wanted to put up on our stair wall rather than waiting in a pile and mounted and hung them.

The Ercol shelf is finally up and looks fab, I got this from the charity warehouse months ago for about a fiver and it was quite a dark colour. I'm quite proud of it, after a good sanding and waxing it looks really lovely.

I shall have to remember to rotate the display!

And I've been experimenting, more Annie Sloan! I've got two of these chairs and I did start sanding them down to wax but haven't finished them, so I thought I might paint one for an instant make-over. I did the legs to test but I'm not sure now, the red is so matt it's not very bright, not sure whether I can varnish over to get it glossy? Or whether it would look cheap if it was shiny? Any thoughts?

The other bonus of maternity leave and the kids finally being back at school is the time for knitting!

I've finally finished the Debbie Bliss cardigan - the seaming's not very professional but I doubt the baby will mind!

and I'm almost done on the bunny mobile..

All pattern info can be found on my Ravelry page, where you can find me as HoldMyHand.
I've already got the yarn for the next project, another Debbie Bliss pattern!

Baby prep ie. shopping!

2011-09-17T18:25:00.000+01:00

Ok so with 6 days to go, I thought I'd round up my baby essentials shopping. Being baby number three, people assume you've kept all your old equipment & clothes from your last baby's, but living in a shoe-box with no storage and always needing extra pennies, we've always sold our cast-offs at boot fairs. Seeing as that's where we bought most of the items in the first place, it always seems like good karma!

The items I have saved are sheets & blankets - these were bought new for my first daughter and they were so expensive I haven't dared sell them for mere pounds, because we all know sheets & blankets can come in handy in a crafty household anyway!

Also, maternity trousers! I find it so hard to get good trousers anyway, but if you're lucky to find comfy (& good looking) maternity trousers/jeans, I recommend you hang onto them! I favour the over bump elasticated panel, supportive, comfy and no revealing gaps! In summer they are a little warm though! I have some from H&M, some from Next and some early pregnancy ones from Mothercare - which have a small elasticated waistband, which also come in handy AFTER delivery when you still can't fit in your normal jeans!

This time round I've bought all my tops from eBay, nothing fancy, just basic t-shirts mainly for a few pounds each and it's meant I've had more variation this time round rather than spending a lot of money on a couple of new tops.

I did have good intentions of making several tops, but in the end only got round to one (above)! Mostly from reticence over spending money on good fabric when I'm not very experienced in dress-making for myself.

The one I did attempt was the Mariposa tunic from Anna Maria Horners' fab book 'Handmade Beginnings'.

I got 4m of Amy Butler fabric (Love collection: Memento in Midnight) from the Sewing with Pleasure show in March and it took me until the summer to have the confidence to cut into it!

I found the instructions very wordy and almost with too much information for me, I think I like more diagrams as I tend to be a bit slapdash and if I know how the garment goes together, I'll usually fudge it together!

So once I actually got down to it and figured out how the pieces were meant to join I just got on an sewed! Not very neatly but I had fun! I used the large size being a busty 14/16 up top and a scant seam allowance (rather than getting into re-sizing the pattern) and hoped it would fit.

And actually I'm really happy with it! If you undo the ties it has a front modesty panel to enable you to breastfeed and I hope to wear it as a normal top afterwards anyway (with a bit of taking in?!)

I'm also considering making the longer dress version in a lighter fabric to wear over jeans in the winter.

So I've been trying to buy as much stuff second-hand as possible, which means some enjoyable rummaging in charity shops & car boots and browsing eBay!

All the baby's clothes are second-hand, they wear them for such a short amount of time, it's criminal the price of buying new. Also, not knowing what sex the baby is most items I've bought are neutral/white and I'd rather save my money to get colour appropriate outfits when it's bigger.

Next big purchase - the pram! For my daughters I had a Graco travel system which had a very useful system of quickly moving the car seat from the pram to the car with no fiddling with seat belts. The downside being it was heavy and bulky. At about 4 months I moved to the much loved Mclaren Quest buggy, which was a revolution and I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

So knowing that I only needed a pram for the first few months (as I still have my battered Mclaren in standby) I knew I wouldn't waste money on a new pram, it was definitely going to be second-hand and there are loads at boot fairs/eBay or local noticeboards when you start looking!

Now I was going to just get a cheap Graco again but then I thought about getting a more robust all-terrain type as the one thing the Mclaren doesn't handle very well is off-road walking. Now we don't do a lot of hiking or anything but we do go for days out, to gardens, fairs, forests, parks and I thought it might be useful to also have a buggy that could handle these.

So I spent some time keeping an eye out on local pram/travel system auctions on Ebay (I love Saved Searches, my current one is for a bike trailer!) and eventually won a Jane Powertrack 360 for the princely sum of £10! It was a bit further away than I wanted but for the price I was very happy!

It was in a bit of a state and needed a good scrub but it came with the carrycot and car-seat parts. I spent an extra £30 on accessories - a rain cover, a pram mattress and the actual adapters to hold the carrycot (again from eBay) and then spent a lot of elbow grease getting the mud off the frame and bleaching out the mildew from some of the fabric parts (all thoroughly rinsed off after, I found normal stain cleaners rubbish but normal bleach did the trick).

It is rather bulky with the carrycot on but I wanted this so that in the mornings for the school run I didn't have to worry about straps and waking the baby up in the usual scramble! The car seat also clips on quickly when going out and about and when it's a bit older the fabric seat will get put on and it'll be an off-roader!

I did treat myself to some pads for the car seat as it didn't have any from Kryshees shop on Folksy, as she had some fab fabric, these were made and posted really quick and make the car seat look much newer!

Next big purchase - the cot! Can you guess? Yes eBay again! Another local search, this time I needed to be a bit fussy as I wanted the standard size cot so that my saved sheets would fit! After watching and waiting for awhile, I found this fabulous one, which I think originally came from JoJoMaman Bebe and has the option of being used three sided against your bed, for the fabulous price of £31.

This meant I didn't feel so bad about the extortionate price for the mattress - £99 from Mothercare - I went for the same type as I've had before as it has a removeable zip off cover which I found very handy when you have a sicky baby or leaky nappies in the middle of the night! I've also saved the spare covers from before which should be handy.

Had a bit of a panic with the matress as they delivered the wrong one - it was a cot bed size but they were very apologetic at customer services and sent out the correct one the very next day. Being 38 weeks pregnant at the time, I was convinced the baby would come before it did, like sods law, thankfully not though!

So eBay has been my salvation with this baby and helped us spend as little money as possible because frankly there's not much left over every month to afford the type of offerings in the Mothercare catalogue! I do hope most new parents don't get sucked into the over-priced 'must haves' that they offer, the 'helpful' shopping list they provide at the back of the catalogue must be a real money spinner! Don't even get me started on the designer prams!

The other source I've found for new items on a budget is Ikea, bit of a drive for us to get to, but when you're getting a lot of items I think it makes the petrol cost worthwhile.

Their baby range is really lovely and affordable and has all the basics. I was going to get the cot and mattress from there if I couldn't find a suitable secondhand one, as they had a good one for only £60, there is a cheaper one still but not as sturdy looking.

So on a recent trip I got a bundle of their cheap white hand towels - 19p each! These can be used as muslins, for changing the baby on, or as I'm hoping to make bibs with!

Muslins, why are these so expensive? I got this three pack for £2.99 as I liked the colours. I've already got a bundle off eBay, and being pre-used their much softer - these Ikea ones are huge though, so I may even cut them in half them to get more for my money. If you have babies who like to sick up/dribble out a lot of their bottlefeeds, you'll want a load of these!

Baby flannels/washcloths £2.99 for 10, these again can be useful for lots of things, burb cloths, flannels for bath time or meal times, keeping in the change bag for spills, as muslins, I did look into making your own baby wipes, which these might be good for?

And lastly, bibs, if you're bottlefeeding, again you'll want a load of these and as a staple they seem to be rather expensive in the high street, these pack of 5 were only £1.99! Bargain, I nearly bought more, but am really going to try and make some of my own, probably using these as a template!

So with 6 days to go, I think I'm set! The time really flies with subsequent babies, there's no time to sit and relax and ponder like when it's your first! And trying to complete the rush of the school run while heavily pregnant and with a painful pelvis, well, they don't talk about that in the pregnancy books!

Festival of Quilts 2011

2011-08-20T19:45:00.000+01:00

A bit later than planned but here is a visual round-up of my day out to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC last week.

I had a fabulous time but there is so much to see (buy & do too!) that by the end of the day my Mum & I hadn't seen everything but we were exhausted! I can see why people make a trip out of it and stay for a few days.

There was a huge array of quilt entries this year, lots of art /contemporary quilts which weren't all to my taste, I generally liked the traditional pieced quilts and getting to see them up close and appreciate the skill, time and patience they must take to complete, makes me very envious.

553: Snowflakes Four

Patricia Boult

Hand pieced & quilted

573: Wholecloth One

Robyn Fahy

Trapunto & hand machine quilted

555: Blue & White

Joyce Dorsett

Machine pieced & quilted

558: For Tom

Jannat Messenger

Hand stitched

559:Square Deal Variation

Birgitta Debenham

Machine pieced & quilted

586: Log Cabin Flowers

Liz Cornish

Hand sewn, machine applique & quilting

580: Snow Plum Quilt

Yukiko Ayres

Hand stitched wedding ring design

105: Heartache & Hope

Jackie Smith

Inspired by a visit to a Foundling Museum

270: No Info in the show guide!

It was a very striking piece of Green Day front man Billle Joe Armstrong

143: Polonaise

Ruth Singer

Hand stitched

145: The Fragility of Friendship

Linda Barlow

Applique, embroidery & quilted

161: Stash Findings

Jenny Hubbard

Applique, embellishments

238: Spoon Fed Love

Maria Thomas

Recycled fabric and paper, quilting, patchwork & applique

233: Spring

Chloe Redfern

Hand stitched felt

304: Double Delight

Pauline Kloof

Hand knitted quilt top

435: Yesterday

Annedore Neumann

Machine pieced & quilted

411: Samplers

Kate Crossley

Machine embroidered, hand & machine quilted

452: Turbulance

Jane Appelbee

Machine stitching, beading, hand dyed

327: Becky's Dresses

Rosalind Gregory

Hand smocked dresses, hand appliqued & quilted

629: Everyone's a Star

Ouse Valley Quilters (11 members)

Machine pieced & quilted using Liberty Tana Lawn

603: Sybil Liberties

Alington Quilters (25 members)

Paper pieced, hand quilted, Liberty fabric

606: Val's Legacy

Val's Friends (10 members)

Machine pieced, hand appliqued, hand embroidered. Machine & hand quilted.

605: Townlands of the Glendarragh Valley

Ederney Quilters (3 members)

Pieced & free machined. Professional lettering & quilting.

662: Hexagons & Stars

Lucie Summers & Jenny Spencer

Screen printed fabrics with reverse applique. Freehand machine quilting.

Miniature Quilts

845: Blue like a Wedgewood

Kumiko Frydl

Trapunto, freemotion quilting

869: Seaside

Julia Gahagan

Pieced background with shadow applique & machine quilting

843: Journey

Nina Davis

Hand printed fabric, hand & machine stitched

Apologies for the patchy photography, the lighting varied from tungsten to fluorescent, glaring to dismal, so it was hard for me to keep up!

If you've never been before I would highly recommend it, even if you're not a quilter you'll appreciate the craftiness and then there's the shopping!

Next years dates are: 16-19th August 2012

I haven't had chance to photograph my purchases, I WAS restrained, I find it best to go with a wish-list of things you need (!) and a budget! The array of fabric on sale is truly mouth-watering though, I was severely tempted by the Liberty FQ's & kits - maybe next year!

I'll try and remedy this with pics shortly.

Plastic Bunting

2011-08-09T14:37:00.000+01:00

Last week provided an end to the 'heatwave' and brought a very welcome (for me!) rainy day!

I was actually looking forward to this as I had a project ready & waiting, the lovely Original Stitch had mentioned on her twitter feed about a recycling project to do with the kids: http://originalstitch.blogspot.com/2010/06/eco-tip-1-party-bunting-and-wood.html

The original tutorial was from Amelia's Magazine, which is very instructive.

Basically you need to cut up some plastic bags, sandwich them between greaseproof paper and iron to create a thicker plastic material.

It's a case of trial and error, I've found that some of the ink's tend to get sticky and stick to the paper, so it's best to sandwich them with clearer plastic bags over the top.

The cheap supermarket bags need to be layered as they tend to get holes in if they're too thin.

It's best if you have nice carrier bags!

I got too hot doing the ironing but would have liked to spent longer making better collages with the prints or putting sequins/threads in the layers!

Iron lightly on each side and then leave for about 10 seconds, with some bags you'll hear the plastic crackling as it cools down and then it's easier to peel the paper away.

Once the grown-up job was done (and you could of course do it in advance if you're one of those organised mummy's!) it was time for the production line!

Cue music to work too, lots of drawing round a triangle template and then lots of scissor cutting out action!

My girls loved this as we used 'grown-up' scissors as their kiddy ones weren't really up to the job.

Next job was to put holes in the top corners, my hole-punch didn't like it so instead we went all Blue Peter and used kebab sticks with blue-tack under the flags.

After hunting out the garden twine from the shed (in the pouring rain) both my youngest and me set about threading them up. The Eldest had got bored by now and was back to her usual 'nose in a book' position! I thought this would be too tedious for the 5 yo but she loved it and did great, by the time we'd finished the sun had come out so we were able to hang it out to see the fruits of our labours.

It's not the most prettiest or well designed but as a lovely project that we all did together I'm more than happy with it. It also really cheers up the ugly wooden fence!

Art in Action

2011-08-07T10:22:00.000+01:00

Continuing on the July round-up, I've got some images from Art in Action that was held on the 21-24th at Waterperry House, nr. Wheatley in Oxfordshire.

This is an annual arts festival with lots of live demonstrations, exhibits and practical classes from a wide range of craft disiplines.

It's a visual feast and provides good inspiration for your own endeavours.

A fabulous tent of stone sculpture's from Zimbabwe's Chapungu Sculpture Park, the pieces were incredibly tactile, such softness from a hard medium.

A beautiful hand-crafted sailing boat

In the 'Best of the Best' tent are the pieces that have been taken from all disciplines, the quality of all the items are stunning and it's a real joy to see them up close.

"Flight to Infinity" Jacques Coenye

Batik on Primissima cotton

"Akasha-The Bridge" Brian Wright

Oil

"Drawn Valley View:Blue" Dionne Swift

Drawn & painted devore velvet

"The White Lady" Katie Pirson

Whitework embroidery

"Ghost Grass" Barbara Gunter-Jones

Cyanotype photogram on silk & cotton

"Towards the Light" Barbara Jackson

Etching/aquatint

"Horizon Curve - Red" Phil Atrill

Interactive Colour Mirka Golden-Hann

A very interesting piece, there are 36 vessels, 1 for every year of the artists life, all colours that are personal to her and arranged in an autobiographical way. It is also interactive though so that the viewer can arrange the small bowls in a meaningful way to themselves. Colour is subjective, intimate and has different meanings for us all.

"Ocean Vessel" Graham Muir

Blown & carved glass sculpture

"Imperfect Offering #6" Ed Burke

"Catriona's Garden" Sarah Morpeth

Handmade book, pages handcut & painted before binding

"In Memoriam 2010" Cathryn Shilling

Fused & slumped glass, dichroic glass flowers on a fused glass ground

"Preening Mallard Drake" Philip Nelson

Carved & painted out of one solid piece of wood

"Branches" Rachel Welford

Sandblasted & water-jet cut glass and mirror

"DNA Helix in Aquamarine" Louis Thompson

"Illuminated Rose Window-Cornflower" Helen White

Platinum leaf, palladium leaf, palladium pwder & watercolour on wellum with pearls & amethyst

"Water Marks" Sue Lancaster

Machine embroidered hanging

"The Quietest Shade of Black" Roanna Wells

"Scope IV" Liam Reeves

Glass plate

All from Sarah Morpeth's stand

By now the kids had had enough (although I did manage to get the 7yo engaged in some good art critique's! What we liked and why and how they were made which seemed to grab her interest) so it was picnic time in the lovely gardens alongside the house.

Another lovely day out, if a little too hot for my liking, being over 6 months pregnant!

July Round-Up

2011-08-05T14:39:00.000+01:00

Well July didn't seem to hang around long, so I'll have a round-up of several things I didn't get round to blogging about!

First up, Witney Carnival, our annual summer fair with lots of entertainment and a general good community feeling. Like most of July it was a case of sunshine & showers but it really didn't spoil the day, my favourite Mr Alexander was there to delight & entertain, his little show never fails to make me smile, if he's touring around your way you must make an effort to see him!

July also means End Of School! Which although everyone looks forward to, actually means...Teachers Gifts!! Eek, this year I did so want to do something handmade and personal, but as always I never give myself enough time, so the fabric coaster or fabric apple ideas were soon shelved! Then I remembered the fab tutorial from The MadHouse that I'd bookmarked for last Christmas...tea-cup candles!

They looked fairly simple and quick but could I find any tea-cups at any of the charity shops?! You can tell that nice tea-cups are popular, you used to trip over them all the time, but now nothing around my neck of the woods! So instead I went for bowls and one nice glass which I think must originally had a candle in already.

As recommended I visited Whicks n' Whacks for the candle making supplies, which had all I needed and had a fast courier delivery option!

I got 1kg of Ecosoya CB Advanced Container Blend,

25 Prewaxed Tabbed Wedo LX Votive Candle Wick - Wedo LX14 - 65mm (guessed at the large size as the bowls were quite wide)

Bottle of Fresh Cut Roses Fragrance Oil

Following both 'The MadHouse' instructions and also the helpful hints of Whicks n' Whacks, I measured out roughly how much wax I would need to melt for the 6 containers - which actually turned out to be rather a lot, I had to do it in two batches!

Basically all you need to do is melt the wax in the microwave, when cool add the fragrance - not too much, think it's best to err on the side of caution, I found doing just 6 candles the smell was quite over-powering!

Stick the wicks to the bottom of the containers, I wedged mine in with a bit of warm wax and then pour in the melted & cooled wax.

Easy!

I kept checking on the wicks to make sure they weren't drooping while the wax was hardening but by the evening/next morning they were ready to be wrapped and given out!

I would definitely recommend this as an easy present, I have lots of the supplies left so I can just vary the fragrance for different people/occasions.

I'll continue the round-up in a new post, as it's 'Art in Action' and I have a lot of photos!

Giffords Circus

2011-07-22T17:57:00.001+01:00

On Monday night we were all very excited to finally see the Gifford's Circus show, we've been meaning to go for the last couple of years, but with the girls now being 7 & 5, it seemed a perfect time, old enough to sit still (sort of!) and not too old to be disapproving of anything that isn't 'digital'.

Every year the show has a different theme and 2011's was to be 'War and Peace', I will admit to being a bit sceptical about this, a bit too depressing and high-brow?

Well I needn't have worried, the story telling was succint and flowed nicely, interspersed cleverly with the wondrous talents of the performers.

Upon arriving at the show ground, Barrington in our case, you're greeted with the charming old fashioned site of lots of beuatifully maintained trucks and trailers, like something out of an Enid Blyton book. The organ was playing, the big top rose out of the field like it had stood there all year and there was a lovely community feeling, I wondered if it was more like a travelling family than just a group of touring performers.

Inside the tent, it was surprisingly light and beautifully arranged, being claustrophobic I was a little apprehensive that it would be dark and that I'd feel crammed in.

The performers were all so talented, everyone seemed to almost double up, as actors and fabulous musicians, the size of the band was just wonderful, lots of saxophones, trumpets, violins, drums etc.

And all the costumes?! Well they were my favourite, all perfect detail, from choice of fabric to style and all seemingly suited for quick changes!

Lots of horses, which pleased my eldest, each scene change happened seamlessly and Tweedy the clown helped gel everything together in a light and child friendly way, I would like to reassure you that he is not one of those tacky colourful cliche's but rather an endearing entertainer and both my girls thought he was thoroughly silly and very funny!

This fabulous acrobat was here alluding to be a comet, referenced I presume in the book (apologies, I haven't read the book or even know the story, I shall have to rectify that) and her performance was breathtaking, seeing it up close you could really appreciate the skill and physical prowess needed.

Yes, she did jump through the ring of fire!

Here is Napolean, who did a nifty bit of knife throwing too.

The fire jugglers were just astounding, I didn't want to watch at times as it was quite tense! Seeing this sort of performance live just can't be matched on television.

I'm so glad we went, the girls really enjoyed it and have talked about their favourite bits all the next day, I really would recommend it to all ages. It only tours locally around Gloucestershire and the South West usually but it's well worth tracking them down, I think we need more of this sort of entertainment on offer, especially for kids to be able to enjoy and realise that entertainment doesn't have to mean switching on the TV. Their website has more info and great images.

Cogges

2011-07-19T15:01:00.000+01:00

Sunday was eagerly awaited in our neck of the woods as our local working farm museum (which was closed in 2009 due to council budget cuts) was due to re-open under a new charitable trust.

Cogges Manor Farm was opened to the public in 1974 as a working museum, a Victorian farm with livestock, a manor house and lots of demonstrations, from cooking to milking to steam threshing days.

It had been popular as a local venue for families and school excursions, so when it was announced that it was to be moth-balled, it really felt like such a waste. I remember going in my youth and then loved taking my kids there too, it was a familiar place for them, their Grandparents lived just down the road and used to take them almost weekly in the summer, so just being able to go back in was like greeting an old friend.

These pictures make it look a bit quiet but actually it was fuller than I'd seen it for a long time which was really great to see.

All the barns were open and the main purpose of the opening was to publicise the fact that it would not be running as a farm to begin with but as a local venue for a farmers market and a brand new cafe with good food.

There was a lovely mix of food sellers, from bread to veg, to sushi to cheeses (full list on the Cogges website)

Some of the open barns (where they used to display old farming equipment) had been changed to be a lovely area for kids play, with art and craft tables

a beautiful mock playroom and even a mud pie making kitchen!

The Manor house was open (not the upper rooms sadly) and the popular kitchen was full of people, warmth and cooked biscuit aroma!

The old dairy, which is so cool and dark, is filled with all the original butter & cheese making equipment, I'm almost tempted to have a go at butter making. The girls could relate to this as we've recently read the 'Willow Farm' series by Enid Blyton which describes most of the process involved and how the children of the farm would help.

I was really pleased to see the kitchen garden has been brought back up to be carefully tended, as during the closed period it had been left to go wild. One of the aims of the trust is to get school children in to learn about organic farming and the cycle of food from earth to table, so there is a little children's garden too.

I never get tired of looking at the house, the sun came out in bursts and it really brings the building alive. There was a lovely atmosphere too, lots of local people keen to support and keep it open.

'The Real Food Cafe'

This is a new enterprise to use the site in a different way, it's being run by the people behind Oxfordshire's Natural Bread Company and will be open Tues- Sun 10-5pm, offering good food and drinks. I think they're also keen to have a few evening openings with guest chef's.

I think the day went really well and I hope it continues. The website lists the opening times and season ticket charges.

Quick Lick of Paint

2011-07-16T11:34:00.000+01:00

I got these nice corner shelves from the charity warehouse a few weeks back for only £4, they were covered in thick varnish so I thought rather than sanding them back I'd try out some Annie Sloan chalk paint on them. I got a little pot from 'The Old Pill Factory', for about £5 and after a deciding on which colour to choose (it took a while!) I went for the duck egg blue.

I was very impressed, the paint was lovely and thick so it only needed one coat and I've still got loads left in the pot for another project. I was done in about 10 minutes and now I can use it straight away, rather than having a long labourious sanding/waxing task!

All I need now is to get the OH to put it up!

The next task will be this peg rail, I was hoping to sand back but I think now I may use more of the Annie Sloan!

I've also finished the Ercol plate rack I picked up months ago - the sanding and waxing was a long process for me! I'll try and get some pics soon but I'm still waiting for it to be put up, if only I was trusted with the power tools!

Gifts

2011-07-01T09:48:00.000+01:00

While we were on holiday it was my Mum's birthday, so before going I was desperately trying to finish the handmade gifts I'd started.

First off was this felt Japanese cherry cake, I got the pattern from 'The Softies Kit' which I got at a charity shop ages ago, it's by Akiyo Kato and it came together quite quickly.

Secondly, was this shopping bag kit from 'Hamble & Jemima', which I found at my local yarn/sewing shop.

All the bits needed are supplied and the Scottie dog fabric is fabulous. The instructions were quite simple and it sewed up quite quickly.

The only difficulties I found were that no seam allowance was stated, the handles are quite wide and there was no guidance on the best placement of them, I think I've put mine a bit too far apart. I also cut the bag rectangles differently, the instructions state to cut a back and front rectangle separately and then sew together along the two sides and bottom but I cut it on the fold, so that I'd only have to sew the sides and hopefully make the bottom more durable too.

I'm pleased to say that they both went down very well!

Weymouth

2011-06-13T21:50:00.000+01:00

Last week was holiday time and this year we went to Weymouth, for the first time and we had a lovely time. The sun shone, the skies were blue and we all ate far too much ice-cream!

The only negative is that four days really aren't enough! I dream about being able to afford a two week holiday one day! We managed to spend each day in a different location and saw some beautiful scenery, going some where new is a real tonic for the soul.

May

2011-05-30T17:10:00.000+01:00

Where has May gone?! It's been a blur of Birthdays, school, work, sunshine & showers!

At the beginning of the month it was mine and the Eldest girls birthday, we're 'lucky' (!) to share the same day - I'm not sure being in labour on your birthday is the best way to spend it and it does mean I'm usually now running around like a blue-arsed fly on my birthday! Seriously, it's really nice and while she was enjoying the day at school,my day consisted of putting up lots of bunting/birthday posters and blowing up balloons - how is blowing up balloons with a pump so tiring?! I managed about 3 before I was bored and my arms were aching! I did manage to squeeze in some 'me' time for a lovely bit of sewing time with the iPod blasting and singing badly!

Organised chaos!

The sewing wasn't all therapeutic though, I was attempting to make 12 party bags for the party that was due in the next two days! I'm glad to say I did manage it, even had a few spares!

I was determined to make them using only fabric I already had (which is way too much and needs reducing!)

I made a rough rectangle template based on the size of the 'goodies' that were going in them - mostly small making kits from Hobbycraft and cut each bag on the fold so I'd only have two sides to hem.

To neaten the insides I also decided to do French seams, so I folded the fabric WRONG sides together to do the first line of stitching, then turned it back again to have RIGHT sides together and did another line of stitching down the side and along the bottom, the seam allowance has to be a bit more generous for this so that you hide all the first allowance inside (see last picture).

Then I just need to fold over a hem for the top of the bag, which I did twice and then pinned the handles in place (pieces of ribbon), poking them under the hem. I did two rows of stitching for strength.

Job done!

The other sewing job I've done this month is a present for my Dad's birthday, it's a key bag, so he can keep all his keys in it, instead of a food bag!

I used the Bento Bag pattern in Sew Hip, issue 29 as a starting point and adapted it slightly. The denim material was a secondhand pillow-case and the lining a piece of an old sheet!

Putting it all together was easy, instructions for box corners never make sense to me in written patterns, visual instruction for things like that are much better! Basically it's two box shapes put together, topstitched at the hem and a channel for the cord on the outside. I used bias binding for the channel as trying to press a tiny hem proved too much for my fat fingers! The denim fabric was also quite bulky which restricts the gathering when pulled tight with the cord, but I haven't had any complaints from the recipient!

We've also had some new members of the family..

meet Harold & Tom, our first guinea pigs!

I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying them and it's lovely seeing the girls learning how to look after them.

I've also had my 20 week anomaly scan which went well thankfully, sadly I don't have any good pictures to share as little bump wouldn't keep still! The poor sonographer had a hard time getting all the measurements, let alone a good picture and we're not very sure on the gender either! I was convinced it was a boy, but now I don't know what to think! The suspense is going to kill me, I'm not good with surprises! I was going to start a Debbie Bliss baby cardigan once we knew what it was, but now I'm not sure what colours to use, cream seems a bit boring!

I've just realised I haven't taken any pics of my lovely birthday presents, I had a lovely handmade brooch from my sister and a lovely bunny by 'The Vintage Magpie', once this rain & greyness disappears I shall have to remedy that.

Well, on to June...which means our holiday is almost upon us, I honestly can't wait! We're going to Weymouth for the first time, I haven't been to the coast for years and the girls are very excited as we're staying in a caravan! If you have any Weymouth recommendations I'd love to hear them!

Clothkits Pinafore

2011-05-11T16:10:00.000+01:00

You may remember back in March at the Sewing for Pleasure NEC show I purchased this Clothkits child's pinafore kit

Well, ta da....I finally got round to making it up!

It really shouldn't have taken me so long, as it was so easy, you just cut out the pieces from the pre-printed fabric and sew together! The instructions were just right, perfect even for beginners and all the needed items are included such as thread, buttons, lining fabric and even a Clothkits label. I cut out my fabric using my pinking shears as I thought this would make the seams less likely to fray and my basic sewing machine managed the button-holes (I practiced on a left-over scrap to get the size right first!)

I omited the front pocket as I loved the print so much I didn't want to hide it and also the adjustable button at the back as I didn't think it needed it but if you made the bigger size for a smaller girl it would be handy as then the dress could grow with her.

I wasn't sure my youngest would wear it, as she's so fussy with clothes, but after it was finished she declared that she loved it, which is high praise indeed!

Now the eldest daughter wants one though!

Buggy Re-fashion

2011-05-01T11:33:00.002+01:00

If you're a mum of young children, chances are you have one of these, the ubiquitous dolly buggy....chances are it's also looking a bit tired and saggy now or maybe they've got fed up of it and it's gathering dust?

Well I've been told the answer!

FROM THIS - TO THIS

It is the fabulous idea of Original Stitch, a new buggy seat to jazz up your toy buggy, they're all handmade and made from re-purposed fabric, they're also reversible and only £12

I was lucky enough to win one of these lovelies in a competition, which I found on The Sewing Directory, as I follow them on Twitter

The all important verdict from my four year old? Absolute joy! Her little face when she opened the parcel was fabulous, she was so excited! She's such a girly girl that she's never understood why we have a blue buggy and not a pink one (long story, I don't like pink and wouldn't buy pink stuff for my eldest!) so she eagerly ripped off the blue seat and spent the rest of the day alternating between reversible sides and getting ALL her toys to have a go in it!

Many thanks to Fiona at The Sewing Directory and Catherine at Original Stitch.

Catch up...

2011-05-01T10:13:00.001+01:00

Well apologies for the delay in reporting back on the Vintage & Handmade Fair, the Easter holidays and (boo hiss) work have got in the way!
Suffice to say that my report consists of 'what a fab day'! It was a glorious spring day which gave us a lovely drive through the green and scenic Gloucestershire countryside and Chipping Sodbury was heaving, it was lovely to see such a bustling Saturday, the farmers market was on and parking was scarce in the morning.

As usual the fair was packed with people and lovelies! I swear everytime we go I get brain/eye ache from looking at all the wares! It's such a visual feast it's like eye candy overload and I have to be really careful to stick to my budget/what I need list!
There were all the old favourite sellers and also some good new ones and there was a lovely mix of items, handmade and vintage obviously!

The tea room was back on form with lovely handmade cakes, I had a gorgeous chocolate brownie and a lovely piece of gypsy tart (must get a recipe for this!).

And what did I buy?!

This lovely cuff from Helen Roskell, it's Liberty tana lawn and it's so soft

A fab bundle of quilt pieces from Hesta Nesta and also this lovely piece of blue floral

and lastly, just what I wanted, a lovely jug for flowers etc. Also on the same stall - the lovely Acorn & Will, were these delightful Kilner jars, the lid actually is hollow so you can put flowers in too!

Another fabulous day out!

Roll on Saturday!

2011-04-06T22:11:00.001+01:00

Quick reminder that Saturday brings the spring Vintage & Handmade Fair!

I shall be toodling down to Gloucestershire to see what pretties need to come home with me!

I've also had a lovely surprise this week as I am a competition winner!

The Sewing Directory ran a competition with Original Stitch to help them decide which of Original Stitch's projects to release as a pattern next. I chose their buggy seat, which is a great idea for changing/re-vamping the seat on your child's dolly buggy, the lovely thing about them is that they make their items out of vintage and recycled fabric. So I was lucky enough to be the winner and as my prize I get to have a handmade buggy seat and a copy of the pattern when released! This is absolutely fantastic as the one we have at the moment is very old and hanging off & is in blue colours which my youngest doesn't approve of as she's adamantly a pink girly girl at the moment!

I shall of course post photos when it's received. I found the competition via Twitter where you can follow both of these fab sites & people: @sewingdirectory & @OriginalStitch.

Mothering

2011-04-04T22:04:00.000+01:00

I think I have the best girls in the world!

For Mothering Sunday they were so lovely, I got handmade presents and cards, told repeatedly I was the best mummy in the world and generally hugged at all times!

Before you have your first child you worry about how to be a good mum, will you do things right?Will you be as good as your own mum? But the reality of being a mum is that you just do your best and without even trying it's the love in your heart that guides you to nurture the children you've been gifted. The unconditional love that children give to you makes you aspire to be the best for them so that even when we get it wrong, when we're tired and grumpy, when we're not listening, they still think we're the 'best in the world' and every time I hear that, I try a little harder.

I think I do also have the best mum in the world as well and even though I can't shower her with gifts I know that's ok because (like me) we like the simple things,so I made her this card.

I hope if you were celebrating Mother's Day you had a lovely day too.

At the end of the day my eldest reminded me that I should thank her & sister if I'd had a lovely day! I have at least taught her something! And yes I did thank them, very much.

Introducing...

2011-04-02T16:38:00.000+01:00

the newest member of our family!

I've been waiting for the first scan and the relief was enormous, we're due to meet near the end of September and I can't wait (neither can the girls!), I feel so lucky.

Super Shopping Day

2011-03-25T17:18:00.110Z

Today I've been up to the NEC, to the ICHF 'Sewing for Pleasure', 'Fashion, Stitch & Embroidery' & 'Hobbycrafts' event.

Had to speedily get the day off work in the end as I was supposed to go on Sunday but then had no one to look after the kids and as we all know, shopping plus kids is a recipe for a hard day!

So I set off after the school run and had an easy drive up the M40, hooray for sunshine and a CD changer full of sing-a-long tunes!

I thought the advance ticket price of £9 was reasonable but then of course you then have to pay £8 for the parking! Thanks NEC but I don't think it's entirely justified.

The venue was halls 11 +12 which is sort of round the back, at the end and they're not the best halls, as there were about two toilet places and two areas for food, so with a lot of old ladies, these were both oversubscribed!

My tip is to get your hand stamped and go out into the atrium, where there are more toilets/refreshments and quieter places to sit down!

As always take your own lunch to avoid over-priced rubbish and take advantage of the cloakroom facilities for large shopping purchases!

So the halls are split into the three events, with lots of sewing exhibition pieces to look at and lots of shopping stalls! I was organised this year, I had a list of what I wanted/needed and measurements! Last year at the Festival of Quilts I was overwhelmed by the volume and choice of fabric and didn't buy much as I wasn't sure what I could justify!

The first stall I clapped eyes on was 'The Eternal Maker' and I was so happy as this is my favourite stall at all the sewing shows. With their selection of fabric, buttons and giant ric-rac it's impossible not to buy anything from them, they are also supremely lovely and helpful if you have a chat.

I went for a lovely ladybird print (I've been looking for a good ladybird print for ages, as a bag lining, hopefully I'll get to reveal the finished article sometime now!)

and some lovely giant ric-rac, I could have chosen a metre from all the colours but went for the pink as it'll go with one of my other purchases....

They are also now doing SUPER giant ric-rac which is even bigger, which you must see!

Then I found 'Fabulous Fabric' which had some great prices, I spotted this needlecord at £8 a metre and knew it would be perfect for the reversible 'Sew Hip' childs cover dress. If it gets the nod of approval from my youngest of course! Should go with the ric-rac?!

Speaking of Sew Hip, they had a stand around the corner, with the new issue on sale (I got mine on Thursday as a subscriber but still haven't had a chance to sit down and properly read it!)

I believe this is Ruth Singer's re-fashion dress from the last issue, which was lovely.

I then found a lovely stall by Dandelion Designs, which had lovely felt & notions, patterns and kits, I chose this doggy kit, which as it looks quite Christmassy should give me time to make it!

Tucked away in the top left of hall 12 was the Fashion Stitch Challenge, which had designers (Charlotte Liddle & Rachel Henderson) re-fashioning and customizing clothes against the clock in front of an audience. This was a great idea and you got to see them working close-up with the help of the cameras/tv screen.

Here's the reveal, a jumper made into a bolero/shrug and a dress embellished with fabric flowers, the audience gets to vote on their favourite and the winner appears in the catwalk show in the Fashion area. For this one the bolero won.

Next to this was the truly amazing 'Above & Below the Waves' installation. You have to see this to believe it, it's a coastal themed knitted display, which you actually walk through like a sea-life centre! Everything is knitted, from the fish, to the sand and the amount of man hours put into it must be phenomenal and I hope it raises a lot of money for the RNLI.

In the fashion hall was a wonderful exhibition by Ollivier Henry, who is an embroiderer, teacher and costume designer, the detail on these were fantastic.

Hurrah for Clothkits, their designs are so timeless. I've been meaning to get one for ages and I have finally manged to choose a dress for my youngest (I seem to have bought a lot for my four year old, it's harder to find things for older kids isn't it?)

I shall unwrap this tomorrow and investigate, but I am assured it's very easy!

Now for some Amy Butler love...

I've finally found a fabric I love enough to try the Anna Maria Horner Mariposa tunic from her Handmade Beginnings book. It suggests using her cotton voile but after finally finding some today, I found it a little too thin for me, it is lovely and soft though!

So I found this Amy Butler Love:Heart print at Doughty's for £10 a metre and I knew it was the one, it's good when that happen's isn't it, you're not sure what it is you're after but when you find it, you know! Now I just need some confidence to cut it!

I also managed to find all the magazines I wanted, Homespun & Cloth are both new to me, so am looking forward to a lazy weekend of magazine reading!

Well, I spent too much and my feet ache, but it was a good day, if you are going this weekend, it's on until Sunday, word of warning avoid the Hobbycrafts section unless you like making you're own naff cards and beware of shopping trolleys, the curse of the old ladies!

Sewing for Pleasure

2011-03-22T12:40:00.001Z

Just a quick update to remind you that the NEC is hosting the Sewing for Pleasure/Hobbycrafts/Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch from Thursday.

I've booked my ticket and will be heading up there on Friday (no kids either!) so will hopefully take lots of photos and report back!

This week we've been mostly doing..

2011-03-20T09:01:00.000Z

lots of cycling!

With any spare moment my youngest is begging to 'go out on a bike ride'! She's just recently taken off her stabilisers and is loving it, she's really good too and it's good exercise trying to keep up with her!

I can't wait until she's ready for us all to go on a proper ride as a family.

Yesterday I spent most of it out in the sun sanding down an Ercol plate rack I picked up a couple of weeks ago from the charity warehouse

Just need to wax it and put it up now, oh and rest my arm which is now feeling rather sore!

Jumble Day Out

2011-03-07T21:00:00.001Z

Saturday was jumble day! Map printed out, cash in purse, I was all set. Then the other half offered to come (with kids!) to make a day out of it, so I hastly packed a picnic, got the kids ready and off we set! Sadly much later than I'd planned so we weren't going to get there for the opening, but we had a lovely drive down and it was nice all being together.

We eventually got there about 12pm, lots of cars in the car park and down the lane but it wasn't busy inside, which with having the kids was good!

There was a lovely selection of stalls all still with lots of goodies to offer and even though perhaps the best had gone, it as nice being able to browse without a fight!

Thanks to my eldest girl for the pics, she's very good with the camera and is much better at getting un-posed pics! I sadly wasn't sure which stall's were who's, I would have liked to put blogs to faces!

Apologies if my eldest took pictures of your lunch or borrowed items from stalls just to show me, she does mean well and she does know not to steal!

I got a few good purchases, apologies as I have no idea who's stall they were from and I can say that all the prices were really good.

Fabric pack £1, necklace 50p

Various items that the girls chose, all no more than 50p each, I had to get the ballerina cake decoration my mum used to have some of these for our birthday cakes!

Beautiful set of Wedgewood plates, £4

We indulged in a selection of the WI goodies and tea, much appreciated after a long drive! Then it was time to proceed with more of the day-trip, so we set off back into Gloucestershire to Westonbirt Arboretum.

It was a little chilly for the picnic(!) but we ate quickly and then warmed up with a good walk/exploration around the old part.

We were most surprised to see these two trees out in full bloom, it was such a lovely splash of colour within all the other wintry looking trees.

We all had such a lovely day out, come on Spring, I'd like more of these being outdoors days! Roll on to April for the Spring Vintage & Handmade Fair too, hopefully it will bring another forest visit too!

Nearly time for Vintage Jumble..hooray

2011-03-04T12:56:00.001Z

5th March 2011, Rangeworthy Village Hall, BS37 7LZ

I'm busy printing out maps on how to get to the jumble sale tomorrow, v. excited, hope I don't get lost as I'm unfortunately going on my own and can't wait to see what's on offer. Hope to report back, with pics. Let me know if you're going too, fingers crossed for good driving weather too as it should be a good drive down.http://vintageandhandmade.blogspot.com/

Flowers to lift the spirits

2011-02-15T13:11:00.000Z

Flowers are always a bit of a luxury in our house, I don't often buy them as they're not on the 'essentials' shopping list and I must admit to forgetting to water them on a regular basis!
So when I'm lucky enough to receive some as a gift, it's always a lovely treat and I was very lucky at the weekend to get these from my other half, not because it's Valentines Day but just because, ahh!

This weekend I have been wrestling with the pattern sheet from this months Sew Hip,

My youngest liked the dungarees so to be actually 'asked' to make her something is a rare privilege, so I photocopied the sheet at work on Friday, then sat down for a cutting out session on Saturday morning. It was then that I actually looked at the pattern and realised that one copy was not going to be enough, in usual fashion the pattern pieces are all overlaid and a real nightmare to 'de-tangle' visually, I realised I should have made multiple copies. This faff with all Sew Hip's pattern's is a real bug-bear of mine, it's such a long winded process to copy the right pieces, even with a photocopier, I much prefer the pattern layout from 'Sew' magazine, the copy price is similar so I do wish Sew Hip would convert, or just not overlay everything into a dis-organised jumble, colour coding is worth nothing on a b/w photocopy!
Ok, gripe over! And I should say that I prefer the actual things to make in Sew Hip rather than Sew!

Well I was in the mood to finish this, so I had to go old-school and crack out the pencil and greaseproof paper and get tracing!

No light-box but a large window! After all that when we went into our local fabric shop I couldn't find any material that a) daughter liked or b) was a suitable thickness!

Will have to trawl the interweb, but it's so hard to gauge fabric/weight on-line, I may wait until I go to the NEC in March for the 'Sewing for Pleasure' show.

Speaking of Sew Hip, here finally is a pic of the mouse I made for my sister for Christmas, I was quite pleased how it turned out, the eyes were a bit wonky though!

After a gorgeous sunny day yesterday, I was very proud when my youngest came home from school to show me what she'd been practicing at school...

At four & a half she has learnt to ride her bike with no stabilisers! I was so proud of her, she didn't want any help but gamely went back and forth, wobbling around looking very pleased with herself. One of those milestone moments that makes you realise how time is passing.

Have a good week!

Quiet week

2011-02-07T12:02:00.000Z

I have a bit of a quiet week, feeling under the weather and I haven't even wanted to knit much, so I can tell my energy levels have had a battering.

I did manage to finish the cashmerino baby hat, but I got a bit carried away and knit too much so had to rip back at one point! So now I can see a small imperfection in it I'm wondering whether to send it to the intended recipient or make another one?! I think my mattress stitch is improving though, but again it gives me cold feet about gifting something I've made to someone else who may not realise what work went into it and just see a boring knitted gift. We talk about knitting having a revival but has it really in the general masses? There is still an adversion to hand-knitted gifts out there I feel by people who are not 'in the know'.

Speaking of handmade gifts, I finally got a picture of the tree decoration I made for my Mum at Christmas, I think she's liked it, as it hasn't gone away with all the other Christmas decorations!

I got the free pattern from the lovely Lupin over at: http://bugsandfishes.blogspot.com/. I got the felt from her shop too and it's lovely stuff, the range of colours are fabulous.

Have a good week!

Still Knitting...

2011-02-03T10:49:00.000Z

I've got a new addiction, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn! It's so lovely to work with, all soft and silky and I'm loving the smallness of baby patterns! I've finished two pairs of the simple baby booties, very simple and quick, the only thing I wonder about is how they'll fit and if they're comfortable, I need a baby to try them on!

Next up is a hat to match, again in the neutral cream, again another simple pattern, all stocking stitch.

The pattern is from the Baby Cashmerino 2 pattern book, which I got from eBay last week, it has some great small simple projects, I'd like to try a cardigan at some point.

I have started the moss stitch rabbit but I have say I've got a bit in a pickle with 'pkp' ! Need a bit more practice with that one!

I've also completed the cotton DK hat from Claire Montgomerie's book 'Easy Baby Knits', the pattern was really easy but I'm not sold on the yarn, it was like knitting with string! I'm going to give it a wash to see if it softens up as it seems quite heavy and rigid for a baby item.

Now all I need is for the recipients to actually arrive! Fingers crossed for the mums.

Monday

2011-01-25T12:55:00.000Z

New Year, so a new moodboard selection is up! It's hopefully a bit spring-like, clean and fresh, which is what I'm craving at the moment! Both in my house and outside in the weather!

I've been rolling on with the Redhook, the rib is going well, I noticed a few ladders where I had the large plastic stitch markers, so thanks to a tip from Lion Brand Yarn (I get their weekly emails) I replaced them with small elastic bands, these are super small hair bands from Claire's Accessories and they're fab, they come in different colours too which could be handy!

As with any large project I find you need a smaller on the go project to satisfy that achievement urge, so as I know of two people who are expecting littles soon, I saw this quick and easy project in this months 'Knit Today' (issue 55) for simple booties.

Sadly I didn't have any Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, so I just had to go out and get some!! Any excuse, and it's lovely stuff, really soft and should wash ok. I went for the deep red and also got some cream - I'm testing out the red, but will do a pair in cream too and will probably send those off as they're a bit more neutral?

There is a bit of a mistake in the pattern though, the decrease rows are labelled wrongly, after knitting the first 18 rows it then reads ' Row 13'.... Just ignore the numbering and follow the rows one after the other, so it should read' Row 19 - 21'. If that doesn't make sense, I found the answer on Knit Today's Facebook page and then also on Ravelry in the Knit Today group.
I should have one finished tonight?! *slow knitter*!

New Year, New Knitting

2011-01-10T21:22:00.000Z

Hurray for January, no more crafting to deadlines (although it can be useful & productive!), it's a time of having a think and deciding what YOU want to make!
So after looking at what I had in my yarn stash, rather than buying new wool, I decided to find a better use for the Rowan Felted Tweed I've had for about a year now. I originally bought 4 balls of this as I'd seen a pattern on Ravelry that I liked, no matter that the suggested yarn was alpaca and a bit thicker, I thought with a bit of maths to amend the pattern and some swatching I'd be sorted.....yes...well...I am a novice knitter I forgot, the maths I eventually mananged, what I couldn't get was the stitch tension looking nice on the larger needles I'd chosen. So to cut a long story short, the project wasn't getting done because I wasn't happy with it, so with my January 'can do' attitude I had the brain-wave to search Ravelry for a pattern based upon the yarn I had *ding* - *lightbulb moment*!
Now it also had to be fairy easy as this was to be my first garment! I think I've done well, I've found 'Redhook' by Brooklyn Tweed, which is a lovely long waistcoat/vest type garment with small cap sleeves and is just rib and stocking stitch. Head over to Ravelry and find me, I'm HoldMyHand, where you can see more!

I had an awful time starting off though, casting on and counting 244 sttiches was difficult for my little brain but then trying to get the rib pattern (k2p2) started proved to be beyond my novice skills!
I think I ripped back and re-started about 5 times, getting into a rhythm and having the right amount of stitches at the end of every row was a nightmare, but I perservered, I broke down the three parts onto a piece of paper and wrote down what the pattern would be for each RS & WS row and what type of stitch I would be on at the end of each part so that if I did go wrong I'd know quickly and not at the end of 244 stitches!!
I've done about 1.5" of the 5" rib section now and once I got into the rhythm it was so much easier, that and remembering to purl the bumpy stitches! The yarn is looking really nice too, the flecky colour is working up very attractively

While all the bad juju was going on with the above project I needed a soothing project to complete, ie. something easy! So with the Sirdar Big Softie I got before Christmas I decided to do some quick wristlets..

Very easy, I cast on 19 stitches (measured around knuckle width) and did a long rectangle in stocking stitch until I got a length from fore-arm to knuckles. I then sewed up the side seam, leaving a gap for the thumb, nice and quick! The bulky wool is really soft and warm, one ball was just enough for two, but I have a second ball left, so might think about a scarf to match, something short with a bit of character, more like a neck-warmer than a traditional scarf, I think I will have to peruse Ravelry again!

Christmas Crafts unveiled

2010-12-27T18:41:00.000Z

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a lovely peaceful time with friends or family, the girls have had a present-tastic time and on the crafty side, I was very pleased to finish all the projects I started!

The above dolly was for my youngest, it's taken from the book 'Made by Me' by Jane Bull, which I have now bought as it's got lots of easy crafts for young girls (and their mums!) to try. It's a simple sleepy/awake dolly with knitted hat and simple dresses. I then made a simple cover, pillow and mattress from Ikea fabric and wadding to fill an old dolly bed/basket we picked up at a jumble sale.
The verdict? Was good, thankfully! I made a small drawstring bag and added in some extra dresses so she had fun dressing/undressing her. I made the neckline with elastic instead ribbon for easier changing and used pinking shears to cut as there were no hems in the pattern.

For my eldest I made the Lily doll and Pickle the panda from the Emma Thomson series of books, the were a bit fiddly, the patterns are available in two of the story books and worked up quite quickly.
The monkeys are from the Patons Colour Works Aran pattern book, I made one and my Mum made the other and it's really interesting to see the differences between our styles! The sizes are different and the features make them really unique!
The last bunnies were not homemade, but came from the lovely stall at Vintage & Handmade by Donna Flower and have been loved and taken to bed already.

I also completed gifts for my family, but stupidly forgot to photograph them! I'll see if I can a photo at the weekend.

So I was very happy to be able to stick to my pledge of homemade gifts and second-hand presents for the girls, as the majority were, eBay supplied a lot of the presents, marble run and more lego were a hit.
The new items were making kits like Hama beads...

Both the girls like these and they're a nice quiet activity! This one is a mobile making kit, the youngest needs a bit of a hand but it should look good when it's finished.

Well, it takes ages to get ready for but quick as a flash Christmas is over!

Better start thinking about New Year resolutions now, the first will be more regular blogging I hope, I think I'll try to set a day of the week for a regular posting, perhaps I should take part in a challenge to keep me motivated?!

Christmas Fairs

2010-12-05T10:02:00.001Z

Well here we are then, December! The month where the days run away from you!

Time for a quick update on last weekend's visits....first on Saturday was the Handmade & Gorgeous Fair at Oxford Town Hall...after fighting through the shopping crowds (I remembered why I very rarely go into Oxford for shopping!), me & the girls got there and it was very quiet, there was no large adverts outside, so no real chance of passing trade I thought..

There were lots of stalls, but not as many as last years Handm@de Fair and there was a distinct lack of a 'buzz' when we got there, which to be fair was after lunch so we probably missed any rush. The stalls were a mix of items, but in my opinion there was far too much jewellery, I am biased as I don't buy jewellery but it weakens the effect if there are too many competing vendors doing the same items I think. The best stall I thought was Homespun, they had some lovely hand-sewn items, like bags, decorations & bookmark's, I can't seem to find any links for them at the moment..

I also got (another!) corsage, this time in a lovely dark mix, black & dark aubergine, again no info on the stall I'm afraid, the listing from the event wasn't very illuminating, lots of people didn't have web-sites to look them up later and most of the stalls didn't have any contacct info, like moo cards to take away. I know they're an expense but they can be very useful, I know I always go back home and check out any web-sites and bookmark my favourites.

So after a shorter than expected mooch, we went round the corner to Darn it & Stitch, Oxford's slightly new and only sewing shop down on Blue Boar Street, which is a very small space (especially if you have small people and also not good for buggies as there are steps down inside the door, but it's quite quiet outside so you could leave it outside and keep and eye on it!) but it's crammed with loveliness, great selection of sewing & knitting supplies, I especially liked the giant ric-rack and the selection of quality fabrics. They were having demonstrations upstairs of quilt-making, corset making & lace-making as they run all these and more as short courses, my eldest was fascinated by the lace-making and we had a lovely explanation of it as the sight of all those bobbins was quite off-putting, it actually seems quite methodical and logical the steps involved, a bit like plaiting/braiding.

I got some lovely cute animal retractable tape measure's for the girls stockings which hopefully they didn't see me purchase!

Sunday, we we're up early in -4c weather and off to Chipping Sodbury for THE Vintage & Handmade Christmas Fair! In stark contrast to the day before, it was absolutely heaving!! I think we got there at about 11.30 and it was manic, lots of people and lots to look at, once you got to see the stalls! There seemed to be more types of general shoppers on this occasion, not just vintage fans, which meant there were (in my opinion) too many large buggies and lots of 'other halfs' milling about which meant access to the stalls was a bit challenging! The sheer amount of goodies on offer was hard for my small brain to take, it was like a small child being in a sweet shop! Hence I completely forgot about taking pictures and only managed one!
There were the usual lovely sellers and also some new ones, such as The Devil Makes Work, with lovely applique items and the moving of the tea-room upstairs meant there was more room in the first room for more stalls.

The tea-room upstairs was a bit disorganised when we went to grab a well-deserved sit down! There was only one poor girl serving and there was quite a queue, there was also stalls upstairs but as the queue was blocking the door I'm not sure a lot of people managed to get past and find the stalls at the back of the room, so a slightly different layout next time would be better.

I got some lovely fabric from Donna Flower and Sal's Snippets, I didn't get much Christmassy stuff, I think all the good stuff goes early! The Vintage Magpie had the most gorgeous little elephant on her stall:

Such a lovely soft lilac colour, she's still looking for a home on Etsy I believe, I so wished I had the cash to take her home with me to join my little Magpie bunny!

On the V&H site there's a great selection of photo's to browse through and hey, I think I recognise that lady with the stripy arms?!!

I'll try and get some pics of my purchases once the sun comes out...it may take a while!

Handmade & Gorgeous Fair

2010-11-26T13:04:00.000Z

List of exhibitors is now on their site, looks like lots of sellers, so should be good. Must remember my camera!

An early purse warning & a WIP round-up

2010-11-21T22:03:00.000Z

An early notification for this week folks, this upcoming weekend is officially 'Spending Weekend'!

Not only is the very fabulous original 'Vintage & Handmade Christmas Fair' on Sunday in Chipping Sodbury, but also on Saturday at the Oxford Town Hall is the 'Handmade & Gorgeous Fair'. This is a newly run fair this year as sadly the original 'Handm@de Oxford Fair' could not take place, so it's a bit of an unknown as to what sellers will be there (there doesn't seem to be a listing on the web), but I shall pop along and show support and report back!

The good news of the week is that I finally found my camera, for reasons unclear to me now it was in the tea & coffee cupboard in the kitchen! Goodness knows what I was thinking, though I did try and put the corn flakes box into the fridge yesterday too!

So I can show you where I am on my WIP's...

First wristlet finished, hurrah as it was VERY boring to knit! Now I've just got to get the motivation to do another one!!
But I've got a different knitting project on the go first, yes it's the start of the Christmas crafting! After the success of the knitted mice last year, I am attempting yet more woolly gifts for the girls.
First on the list is the Patons monkey as seen at Ally Pally,

It's going quite well, very easy pattern but each piece is individual so there will be lots of seaming later! My mum is going to do the rabbit pattern for the second daughter so I don't have to do two!

The yarn is Paton's Colour Works Aran, I've gone for the purple and blue shade (00083) and it's actually very soft, it's 65% acrylic, 25% new wool and 10% polyamide. I'm using 4mm needles as suggested but I
did try a small swatch on smaller needles as on Periwinkle's lovely blog she made the rabbit pattern and found the tension too holey, so that may be something to be aware of.
I shall try and get a quick pic of my progress tomorrow as although I'm knitting in front of the girls they haven't asked what it is yet and I don't want to arouse their curiosity!

The other lingering WIP is a very simple seat pad cushion for my daughter's dining table chair, I got this old wool blanket from the charity warehouse ages ago waiting for a project to do with it.
I've made a paper template of the seat and just cut round it adding an approx. seam allowance. As it's bound to get filthy and need washing I've just made the bottom layer in two pieces for a basic envelope opening and then I'm going to add some ties at the back. I would have finished it today but I'm umming & ahhing over the ties, think I'll pop into the local sewing shop tomorrow to see if I can find something I like better than the bias binding in the picture...

Counting down....

2010-11-15T17:19:00.000Z

Counting down the days till THE Fair....Sunday 28th November - Chipping Sodbury...start saving!!!

(I was hoping to post photos of WIP's, but I seem to have lost my camera! It's around here somewhere....keep your eyes peeled for me!!)