Jan May

Spring may not have sprung in quite the way we would expect - but I do seem to have shrugged myself out of my sewing hibernation.  Goodness me - since coming back from holiday I have been in a stupor.  Haven't been able to apply myself at all.  However, my neighbour telling me her foster-child has a birthday soon has got my creative cap on.  With a blue and red bedroom to match in with, I've rummaged through my fabric stash and run up this little pillow. With the exception of the 14" Ikea pillow inside, the outer is up-cycled.  The red fabrics were cut from pretty dresses I have found at car boot sales for next to nothing (I set my buying limit at £2 - but will only spend this if the dress contains a lot of fabric - more usually 50p or £1), and the denim and check background were once my husband's shirts. You can find such great detailing on girl's dresses.  I loved the beautiful embroidered hem to this dress.  It's been perfect to make the back envel

Today, I've put my sewing aside.  I've finished the top of my bed runner, and have to decide what to back it with.  Instead, I bravely grabbed my sketch book, and attempted to draw something.  I say bravely - as I can't remember the last time I actually did any proper drawing, and I get really cross with myself.  I always know exactly what I want to do, but getting my hand to co-ordinate with my brain is usually a big fail.  My finished doodle-like valentine girl is very simple and naive, but I rather like her.  Currently debating if it would work as an embroidery?  Or dare I try painting onto a canvas?  The result would be tragic, and probably death to the carpet, walls and anything else within splatter distance. 

After much fiddling and generally farting about - this is the layout I've decided on for my bed runner. I've given up on the idea of puffs......  once I realised how many squares it would take!  I would have been well and truly out of puff by the time I finished.  Does everyone take as long as me to decide on what's going where?  Blimey - if I hadn't been so precious about it, I could have sewn half of it together already.  I'm going to do simple squares.  I don't want to overdo it, and take away from the pretty bedding I want to compliment. (though I may have to add a button or two). I've worked out that I need 76 x 5 inch squares to make the runner.  It's the closest I can get to the width of a super king quilt - leaving me a couple of inches to do an edging or binding of some sort.  I would love to add a big bobble trim, but the cat would have a field day with it - so that's a no-no.  Plus, anything on the bed has to be capable of chucking

I've got there in the end!  One puffy pillow already for the bed.   The puffs were easy to do - and a good trial run for my next project of a bed runner to match.  I actually think the pillow would look better if it was all puffs, but hey - ho - you make and learn. Here's what I did...... Fabrics collected together.  The finished pillow is 14 inches square.  Allowing 1/4 inch seams - I cut the centre embroidery at 7.5 inches. Then 12 different squares of 5 inches each (top) 12 squares of 4 inches (back) cut from old white shirt.    There's no need to tack.  Though pins are a must. Begin by folding each top square in half (wrong sides together) and run over with an iron at the edges.     Match up the corners with a backing square.    Pinch fold in centre, and fold down flat against the backing square.  Pin in place, and continue around, bending each fold the same way.     All squares pinned, placed, and ready to sew. To join squares together, I carefully unpinned

  Oh AccuQuilt I need thee, for my back is killing me.... an afternoon of cutting - and I'm sending you a plea! I've entered every giveaway, alas to no avail - So desperately I send this rhyme and tell my hopeful tale.   I cut with skill, I cut with care - and yet it goes awry... the ruler slips, the cutter veers - it makes me want to cry. I waste such precious sewing hours, and strive for sliced perfection. An AccuQuilt would help attack my massive fabricollection.   Oh AccuQuilt please rescue me - from cutting fabric hell, I need some magic gadgetry (the likes of which you sell). My husband shirks my buying need.  So sadly I'm unable.... Though I sew a lot, I blog a lot - with perfect space upon my table!   So help I cry - please help me please - this cheeky English stitcher, Forgive me for the begging bowl, but hope you get the picture. I've read such great AccuQuilt news; through FBook, Tweets and blogs, It's a desperate

Sometimes I amaze myself!   For my sheer inability to finish things.  I started these gloves two years ago. Dragged them out last year - got sidetracked - threw them back in WIP vat. Yesterday's blog featuring crochet glove patterns got me thinking about them.   Dragged them out again. Finished in 5 minutes!   Good grief - I am a numpty.   Originally the sleeves after picking up the pieces after a fight between a washing machine and a cashmere jumper.  Guess who won? The resultant densely felted loveliness was not about to be wasted.  The body of the sweater became a peg bag - which is now much used and in need of replacement.  A shame as I love it - and must remember another time to line with stiff fabric to retain the shape.  And the sleeves were destined to become fingerless mitts.  So simple to do - I simply cut off just below the shoulder seam, and the resulting diagonal made a lovely shaped cuff when turned over.  After slicing a small hole nea

By golly - it's chilly!   Although it's not snowing - it's definitely the weather for protecting the digits. I'm not sure where mine are - having currently located one glove...... and I'm not as brave as Michael Jackson was to adapt it as a fashion "look".  Likely to remain with hands jammed firmly into pockets for the forseeable future.   Having found these fabulous free crochet patterns though - I feel an urge to get hooking.........   Note - you may need to be a Ravelry member to source their patterns.  Well worth signing up as many are free - and you can store any patterns you like in your own "library"  And - if you haven't entered into the world of Ravelry - be warned - you may be lost for some time!  It's a whole world of yarny loveliness.  A group I started some years back now has over 2000 members, and continues to carry on it's Oddballs theme quite merrily.   also - remember there is a difference between

Today I should be doodling.   Or more appropriately I should be doing housework...... and then doodling. Why doodling?    Well - in an effort to structure my crafty life, I enrolled on a course to "Unearth my Creative Nature" - run by Jani Franck   (I believe this course is now closed, but sure there are others to join - do take a peek at the website - it's very interesting and inspiring).   I've thoroughly enjoyed reading the emails, and joining in the facebook group, but have of course done nothing in the right order.  With the course currently on week 3, I am still pootling about the edges and not really doing what I should be from week 1.  I can excuse myself a little, as wasn't sorted out from house move when it began.  There is of course a limit to how long I can blame this for the delay.  I even wonder if my mind will even function in doodling form?  I think my OCD tendancies struggle to maintain neatness and precision (fails, but tries).  Back in

I adore vintage photography and artwork - and grab images to keep whenever I see something I like. Thinking along the lines of "I can do something with that one day" - the collection continues to grow. Why do I love vintage so much? I delight in the charm of the old photography - the faded out delight that is sepia - and the naive pretty colours on old images that were hand coloured before printing. I love the harking back to another era - the clothes, the hair, the apparent gentleness. Most of all - I love the fact that any image over 75 years old is deemed to be royalty free - and is therefore free to use for any project, without the fear of being nabbed for copyright infringement. Vintage images can be found anywhere! I can spend ages rooting through old postcards in antique and bric a brac shops. They are so cheap to buy, and I think they are simply darling. Some are just perfect to pop inside a frame for instant artwork - and others cry out to be scanned in