Festival of Quilts

I'm counting down the days now, I'm off to the NEC on Friday to see the Festival of Quilts!I can't wait, I had a great time last year and I'm looking forward to some retail therapy and maybe even seeing Amy Butler or Jane Brocket at the book signings.  I will take my camera and hope to get some piccies to share with you.  I've also signed up for a quick & easy class to make a Morsbag, which should be great fun!

Girls Summer Dress

Finally I have photocopied the pattern, guessed the size to use for my four year old (2-3 as she is quite ickle!), found some cheap material to practice on (old thrifted duvet) and actually sat down and GOT ON WITH IT!

I'm always the same, it's the getting going that holds me back on creativity!

So I'm quite pleased with how it's turned out, the instructions were a bit lacking, it forget about telling me what to do with the back of the bodice/skirt, but I guessed it!  I also made the skirt seams french seams to enclose the raw edges and I had my first attempt at using the button-hole foot on my machine (which was quite hit and miss, I recommend practicing A LOT!)

So all I have to do now is see if she will actually wear it! 

If it gets the thumbs up I could make some more...?

Ladybird Loveliness

Look at all these classics I picked up at the local boot fair on Sunday!  Amazingly only 20p each too, so I bought the box full!

These are now on my shelves out of reach of sticky fingers! 

Although as we now have two copies of Cinderella (which is my youngest's favourite story) she can have my old copy, complete with my scribbles on!

Granny Square learning...

I've been finding new blogs lately, mostly from links on blogs I like and I was very taken with the lovely blog 'Yarn Round Hook' when I found pictures of a gorgeous granny square blanket!
It is so yummy, big congrats to Victoria for finishing this!

So after many failed attempts at crochet I was spurred onto trying to master the Granny!!

So lots of re-reading books, magazines, blog posts and then I found a link to this...
Sarah London's Flickr set
'How to Make a Granny Square Step by Step' on Flickr...follow the link it's truly fab and that was when it all slowly started to make sense!

Cue lots of furrowed brows and fingers in a twist...but eventually I ended up with this...


It's not perfect I know but I did get the rhythm of the pattern eventually and I'm keen to practice some more.

Art in Action

Had a lovely day yesterday at Waterperry House nr Oxford for the annunal Art in Action event.

There were some fabulous artists from a wide field of disciplines, in the 'Best of the Best' tent the standard and talent was truly awe-inspiring, from printmakers to ceramics to textiles.

I had a lovely day with lots of lovely things to see and even managed to get a few materials!

Sew Hip Letters Page!

Sorry about this, but have you seen the letters page of the latest Sew Hip??!!

Well I was very proud to see on p.16 my pictures of the pillowcase dresses I'd made this year.

I put them on the Sew Hip Flickr page and they emailed to check it was ok to publish (big thumbs up for proper procedure, I work in image permissions!) and of course I said yes!

They were a very easy make and I would make more but the girls haven't been that keen on them! My youngest refuses to wear her pink one! Still she does love the Oliver + S 'Lazy Days Skirt' I made for her last year in Ikea fabric, I think I shall try and rustle up some more of these instead!

Bucks EYeS

Bucks EYeS 2010

Last week we had a little trip out to High Wycombe to see the Bucks Uni degree show.


My big sis is just graduating from her jewellery degree so we were all curious to see what she's been working on!
We also made sure we had a nosy around the others shows and there was a real mix of courses, it was really inspirational to see other people's creativity and ideas.

These architectural pieces are by my sister Fiona West Designs

These piece are by Alice O'Neill

I think these are fab, unusual, interesting but wearable.These are a few snaps from all over, the bunnies with the light bulbs in their tails are inspired, I hope they get picked up for production and the knitted armchair which you can sit in and wear, very cosy!
They'll also be exhibiting at New Designers & D&AD in London:

http://www.newdesigners.com/

http://www.dandad.org/