December 22nd 2013

OK.  So yes it's been ages since I posted on here.

I have done my first (and second) craft fairs.  The first one was a bit of a disaster.  The school hosting the event failed to put up signposts to the room with the craft stalls, to be honest we were the only actual craft stall (Me and my friend Carolyn shared a stall).  We were upstairs along a corridor and not many people found us.  The mix of stalls wasn't right either.  I did make two sales but think that was more by luck than judgement.  However, learned a lot of things not to do when I get the craft fair at school done.

The second fair was surprisingly a much smaller venue.  I was the only craft stall, the others were a second hand book stall, a bric a brac stall, cake stall, Knitted goods stall and raffle/tombola.  I still managed to sell fairly well, some people remembering me from last year when I only had my cushions for sale.

Since the fair I've sold another cushion and now I've only got one left.  I want to make some other designs before I do another fair.  Got some ideas buzzing around in my head and need to get some of them down on paper before they disappear.

Last week the headteacher at my sons primary school retired after 28 years and I thought it would be nice to make her a cushion, based on my other designs but with the school crest at the centre.

 

 

The cushion was a big hit.  It made her cry - result...lol.  The border on the cushion was from pre-made half square triangles.  I cut them down to 2.5" squares and used them for the border.  It worked well.

 

 

I have more of the half square triangles already made which I can cut down to use on other cushions.

 

Went into Merry Hill today and bought The Makery book.  There are a few good ides in there and I think I will be making some more metal framed purses.  I want to dress them up a bit this time.  I need to make more stock as the cushions took up quite a bit of room on the stall and unless I get some more made the next stall will be looking very bare.

 

One of the things in the Makery book was a brooch made from an old tape measure.  I don't have old ones but I have several of the little retracting ones lying around so I decided to cut one up and give it a try.  The one in the book didn't have the little tail that mine has and I did wing it a bit but I'm quite pleased with it.  I will put a brooch back on it tomorrow as it's much too cold and dark to go down to the studio tonight to get one.  But I know there are quite a few down there.



 

 

I'm knitting at the moment, I don't know why but I'm not actually enjoying this one.  It's an alpaca jumper,  I'm on the last sleeve so not much left to do.

 

I've just bought 3 new balls of sock wall, one of which is in the Slytherin colours which has made Sarah very happy so I shall be starting those after christmas.

 

Yesterday I went to the post office and picked up a package with 2 metres of Alexander Henry fabric - it's lovely, gothic.  Saw it on one of my facebook groups in pink and bought it in smoke.  Sarah is trying to lay claim to it  but I haven't decided what to do with it yet.

 

I started a new Christmas tree skirt a couple of weeks ago, this is an applique design and all the applique is done but needs top stitching.  There is no chance of this being finished for this christmas but I will carry on with it.

 

I have a pile of future projects lining up but there are still some left that need to be finished.  I will try to get at least three finished before the end of next year. 

 

1. Michael Black and Red Quilt

2. Teal and Brown layer cake Quilt

3. a.n.other

 

This is the plan - don't know whether it will come off but watch this space - as I work on them I will post my progress.

 

Mikes quilt first - needs layering up and then I'll crack on with the quilting.

 

This is probably it now until after christmas - so Merry Christmas to all my readers and I'll catch up with you in the new year.

 

Sally



OK - you asked for it.

Update...finally

No I'm no longer exhausted but I'm on day four of a headache, so excuse any typo's or vague ramblings.

Will sort photos soon but the quilt I made at the Kaffe Fassett workshop (S Blocks) is almost quilted, I only have the borders to quilt and the binding to put on and then Sarah has put her name on it.  Mike has been asking when his Black and Red quilt is going to be finished so will have to get it layered up.

Went to quilting group last week and got the pockets put on the front of the Advent Calendar I've been asked to make for one of the little girls at school.  Her mum bought one for her brother years ago with his name on it but couldn't find one for her daughter who is now old enough to ask why her chocolate is in her brothers calendar.  Bought a lovely panel with a blonde angel all in gold and cream with accents in red and green and put the pockets on with gold thread.  I'm going to hand quilt it with gold thread too but I'm probably going to have to get ideas on what colour to bind it with.  Pics to follow.

After doing the pockets I pulled out Mikes dragon quilt that I started ages ago and finished the satin stitch on the Orange dragon and started on the Warlock square.  Need to keep plugging away on it so it does actually get finished.

As I can't go out and buy loads of fabrics or wool at the moment as I'm on a tight budget, I've got wool from the charity bag in the wool shop and I've been knitting for the Womens Maternity Hospital in Birmingham.  So far, Four cardigans, three hats and three pairs of bootees.  And I'm still going.  I have got some wool in my stash in the Studio but I can't decide what to do with it, the baby knitting is small stuff and doesn't need concentrating on too much.

Things are a bit easier this week as both kids are back at school.  Sarah has to find somewhere to have work placement next year.  Asking around the teachers I know who may take a student.  Mike is doing everything he can to avoid his homework.

Even the few days they've been back have helped.  I've got up to date on all my washing and ironing finally.  I was up to date before we went on holiday and then we got back with all the bags of clothes and bed linen and then.....  But it's sorted now.  The window cleaner came and when he'd finished I went round and cleaned all the sills and the front door.  The house front looks so much better.  Dave carried on with the inside of some of the frames today and they are looking good.

I really need to get back to the studio so I can get sewing again.  I have some ideas of things that I can make and hopefully sell but I really need to get to work.  I managed to buy a mini fridge for £5 which can sit on the desk in the studio so I can have cold water down there and not have to keep coming up to the house for a drink.  Just need to fix the TV so I have a decent sized picture - not that I watch it much but more so I could listen to it.

I've started playing Crown Green Bowls now but the season is nearly over.  April - September.  I will ring Jean (Bev) as she's got some bowls to sell.

Really missed Bev last week as she couldn't come to quilting.  There weren't that many of us there but the news that she's bought a spinning wheel, this means I'll need to visit for a coffee and to watch her spin.

So hopefully this fills a little of the gap which explains what I've been up to.  There's loads more but I think that it's probably too boring for anyone but me...lol

Exhausted

What a day.

Early start this morning as Mike was going skiing.  Luckily Dave took him and his mate so I got to stay in bed after I woke them both up.

As soon as I got downstairs I started working.  First brought in a pile of cross stitch patterns and magazines from one of the boxes I brought down from the loft yesterday and started going through them.  What a lot - and so many that have never been worked.  Found some part started and some finished and tucked between the pages of the magazines.

The small finished ones I've put on one side, may frame them to sell at the craft fair, this will get rid of them and hopefully make a little money too.  Win win.

The part finished ones, if I could find the pattern I've put into a smaller box and the kits that haven't been opened or started are put aside and I may sell them as kits either at the craft fair or on Ebay.  Found some pattern books too.

Looked on Ebay and found out that their is no fee for items listed this weekend so here we go.  I've listed 17 items so far and I'm just waiting for some photo's to upload to put some more on.  Everything I've posted so far has been viewed already and a couple are being watched.  So fingers crossed I will sell a few - even half would be nice.

Sorted through all my sewing patterns, and again don't think they'll get made, most of them are no longer my size so I'm going to make an album of them and put them on Facebook in the sewing, knitting and crochet page and see if anyone wants to buy them as the ladies on there do like buying patterns from each other.

All the ornaments and pictures I've collected up from round the house have been bubblewrapped and boxed ready to go into the loft and the box of fabrics is ready to go down to the studio to be sorted and put away/used.

Arranged collection of the charity shop stuff in the porch tomorrow afternoon so that will be gone too.

Written all the order forms to take out the Avon deliveries tonight and got all the books ready and now it's hammering down with rain and I really don't feel like doing it.  Hope it dries up soon.

Dave is asleep in the chair and Sarah is working on the decoupage box she's making for her friend Hannah's birthday, will post a pic if she'll let me.  Mike is playing on his DS upstairs but has his homework to do before bed.

Still working my socks off and haven't stopped all day.  No sign of stopping either but it will be a job well done.

Sally

Haven't been down in the studio as much this week as I've been trying to get things sorted in the house.  I've finished decorating the kitchen and I'm starting to get things back in.

At the beginning of the week Dave suggested having a clear out of pictures and nic nacks to streamline things a bit.  To anyone who's been here you can stop chuckling now.

So I've been around the house and collected up odd bits, cleaning shelves etc. as I go.  I now have several boxes and piles of stuff in the lounge waiting to go up into the loft.  Dave went into the loft today and sorted out some piles of stuff in there, the upshot of which means that we couldn't use the bathroom for most of the afternoon as it was full of boxes and bin bags all pulled down from the loft to get sorted out, these trickled into the lounge.

I've sorted old duvets (and one that looks brand new), old lounge cushions and clothes (waiting for the charity shop) and clothes I'd forgotten about which are waiting to be tried on and washed ready to go into the wardrobes.

Sarah decided that this would be a good time to clear out the china dolls and bits on the shelves in her room.  These have been bubble wrapped and boxed ready to go to the loft as she doesn't feel ready to part with them yet but is determined to get her room all sorted by the end of the six week holiday so she is clean and tidy to start her GCSE's in September with a working desk and shelving for her books.

There were two boxes with cross stitch, both fabrics and kits (started and not started).  One contains lots of magazines which are going to be got rid off soon.  One box full of fabrics which will be sorted and taken down to the studio and a bag full of dressmaking patterns which I'm going to be selling off as they probably won't get made as they're too small.

So at the moment, the porch is stuffed with bin bags ready for the charity shop, the lounge has boxes of nic nacks waiting to be wrapped and stored and fabrics to be taken to the studo.  The house now looks totally stuffed again but it is a means to an end and within the week should show improvement.  Fingers crossed.

Oh and there's a pile of ironing waiting to be put away.  Will work on this lot while Mike is at his party tomorrow.

But this week I have finished the tote bag I was making and I've made another Colette Sorbetto top which I'm pleased with.  I went to quilt group on Wednesday and made an applique panel ready to be included in the front of a new bag for my cutting mat.  Just need to make a panel of patchwork to go either side of it to make it big enough for one side of the bag.

Got all the washing and ironing done too - as at Thursday but got more to do now.

I'm helping out at school with Art's week this Wednesday and Thursday, clay and spoon puppets and Wednesday night I'm doing tie dying with Explorers at the scout hut.  Dave will be away overnight for another interview so will get some time to myself for the first time in ages. 

Going to be a bit of a crazy week but that's how things go.

If I survive it I'll write again later.

Night Night

Friday 14th June

Well - how can it be Friday already.

Had a great day on Tuesday with a visit from Beverley who camped out in a corner of the studio to work on her rag rug while I worked on an order for a book bag and notebook.  Thought I'd try and get a little production line going for the notebooks so I didn't have to keep changing the foot on the machine.

While we were 'working' the post arrived and my lovely hubby brought it down to me - only because he was being nosy as there was a rather large parcel.  Didn't tell him what was in it.

Yippeee... it was my order from DayStyleDesigns in America.  I love to follow the machine quilting instruction from Leah Day on YouTube.  I have learned so much from watching her lessons and it has given me more ideas and confidence.  If you want to see her try out the following link to lesson number 1.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=quilt+along+%231&oq=quilt+along&gs_l=youtube.1.1.0l10.4445042.4447279.0.4449060.11.9.0.2.2.0.230.1004.4j4j1.9.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.fuRh9l1hPpU

She uses the same sewing machine as me for most of her lessons so I can't say "well she's got a much better machine than me".  Basically if she can achieve it, then with practice I should be able to too.  I have already seen an improvement.

She uses a tool called a Supreme Slider - a teflon sheet with a hole in it for the needle that goes over the feed dog and creates a flatter slidey surface for machine quilting.  By not dropping the feed dog the stitch tension for free motion quilting is much better and the finish on the back is better.

I tried to buy a Supreme Slider at Malvern and only found one stall selling it.  Cotton Patch had one for £67.95 and it wasn't even the big queen sized one.  On Leah's website she does an Ultimate Quilting Kit which has the Queen sized slider, a pair of Machingers Quilting Gloves and a pack of Genie Bobbin washers (teflon washers to go under the bobbin to make it turn more smoothly) all for $87.00 plus postage.  Which means that the lot including postage was under £55.00.  Bargain.

The sticky side of the slider basically STINKS.  But when adhered to the machine base/acrylic table the smell disappears.

Well - the work now glides without effort under the needle making the movement of the fabric for free machine quilting a dream.  Think I'm going to love it.  As it blocks the view of the bobbin it can be a bit of a surprise when it runs out but then the quilt itself will block it anyway so what the heck...lol

Got the bookbag finished while Bev was here and the fronts of four notebooks.  These were all finished off on Wednesday with just the buttons to stitch on which I did Thurday.

Thursday I drove over to Hobbycraft to get some more felt as the stuff I bought from the range was very thin and wasn't cut to size properly, it will be fine for the embellishments but not for the main body of the book.

When I got back I put the fabric away and while I was down there I had an idea for the cover of an A5 book.  At the moment the pieces of felt I have been buying are not big enough to cover a larger book so I though I'd try colour blocking it.  I am sooooo pleased with the result. 

 

I also made a ribbon page marker with a tab at the bottom and this is on an A5 book with  plain paper inside.

Red shoe with satin bow

Black silhoutte lady with hat

Black Cat

Upside down Batman book for Abi

 



 

Really pleased with these but think I need to be a bit more adventurous.  I might try an A6 colour block as it worked really well.

 

 

Will be working on a larger tote style bag as and when I get back down to the studio.

 

 

Took the three bags and books to Slimming World last night and got paid.... yeah.... so nice to see some money coming in instead of going out.  I have posted the new pics on the Facebook page with the prices and I've already had an enquiry as to the cost so need to get my finger out and try and do a little bit of marketing - get the word out and make sure my pricing covers my costs.

 

 

Daves got his interview today and we spent last night and this morning working on the presentation.  Hope it goes well - I could do with more money to spend on my hobbies - but I admit I am enjoying making and selling things - just need to hone my ideas.

 

All ideas greatfully accepted.

 



Too late in the evening

Shouldn't post this late at night and especially not after a glass of wine - or two.

Found a space to lay out the Millennium quilt so no more excuses - just need to make the backing and get enough wadding and I'd like to get this ready to quilt over the winter - yes the 2013/14 one.

The jumper I'm doing is not going too bad - think I've sussed out the pattern now and I'm over halfway up the back.  It looks small for the size it's supposed to be but I suppose blocking at the end will sort that out - the tension is OK.

Showed the girls at the shop how to make continuous bias binding this morning and it was like explaining how to walk on water.  They'd all tried with instructions and failed and it was like little lightbulbs going off.  Think I might still get the odd phone call though as they try and get stuck.

Bev is coming round to stitch in my studio tomorrow - not a lot of room in there as it's rather crowded but that could add to the fun of it.  Need to finish the second bag for Lisa and  the notebook for her daughter for Thursday so hopefully will get this done in time.

Sarah has done really well in her latest assessments at school and is very happy that I've let her drop Latin - even though there's only 5 weeks left in the term.  She's had enough and the teacher is driving her nuts.

So 1/2hr lay in tomorrow.

Mad clean up in the morning as I've been nesting on the sofa again and then sewing for hours and hours and hours...lol

Night night.

Another Update

Well..... good day today.  Went to Slimming World tonight with my friend who joined tonight and managed, even after all the rubbish I've consumed, to lose 1 lb.  Praise be.

Showed some of the ladies there the bags, books and tissue cases and sold a tissue case, and got orders for two bags and a notebook.  Looks like I will be sewing again tomorrow - good news.

After realising that Dave had the car with my sewing stuff in this morning I decided to print off the PDF file for a top that someone had posted onto Facebook, dig out some fabric from my stash and try making it.

This mean printing out the pattern (25 sheets of paper) and checking that the scale was accurate.  Then realising that it had printed double sided so I couldn't just match it up and stick it together.  Luckily I had so pattern paper so traced it through.  Well surprised that the pattern sizes meant I was cutting was a 16 and not the normal 18 or 20.

Very easy pattern, only two pieces and instead of facings the neck and armholes are finished off with bias.  So spent the afternoon making the top and wore it tonight.  It's really comfortable, and after lifting the shoulder seam by 1/2" and reducing the side seams at the top by 1/2" so the armholes didn't gape it fits really well, even the darts are in the right place.  Well impressed.  Will make again and try some variations.

 

 

Doesn't look that amazing but it feels really comfortable.  With white linen trousers I think it will be really smart.

Got a lady coming to see me tomorrow and she wants me to knit a jumper for her.  She has fallen in love with a pattern and some wool but thinks she'll take too long to knit it herself.  Just got to decide what to charge for it.

Then need to start on the orders for bags and book covers.  Life is picking up a pace a bit.  Still got to finish decorating the kitchen.  Glossing next and then the walls.

Dave has a telephone interview tomorrow so fingers crossed it goes well as this would give him a confidence burst.

When will I have time to do the housework.... oh well.... Crafting forever, housework whenever...lol.