In the end i am pleased

sorry about the lack of light and the odd stray thread.

Folksy fantastic

Hello, just to let you know i have opened a little shop in a new UK handmade market called Folksy.  Oh so similar to Etsy it is scary but this time the price is in sterling. Not much in it as yet as still trying to complete Christmas orders but my aim is to increase in the new year.
There is a link in the right hand side or you can just press here

I would hate you to think that i am addicted but…….

If you are wondering what i am talking about see previous post with links. The marvellous Marie made a good suggestion in her comment and i now have presents for Oliver’s teacher and assistants.  Although no zips left for my bag orders. Ho Hum

All boxed up

I was reading a fab new blog i found the other day called Miss Behave and not only is it the best looking site i have seen, it also has fantastic tutorial links.  Today she was linking to small zippered pouch tutorials.  I have been racking my very limited brain to try and figure out how to make a box-like zippered pouch, similar to my husbands wash bag.  On Miss Behave there was a link to an extremely simple tutorial doing just that.  This is the link.  Obviously it was one of those times when you go “oh, i could have thought of that if i wasnt such a thicky.” Generally though my mind goes into spasms when zips are mentioned.  But not today, and i managed this with two children at home (oliver with an inner and outer ear infection) a husband at home and whilst making lunch at the same time.  So yes it really is that simple.  So here are the pictures

I now just need to get my brain in action to see if i can make a larger one with an inner waterproof lining to work as a wash bag.  Maybe after Christmas

Three complete

Woo hoo, i have completed three of my bag orders, which let me tell you is a minor miracle considering my daughter has decideed she no longer has naps during the day (nor sleeps at night apparently!) and Christmas is coming.  The first one was a faux suede basket bag of which you have seen many photos so i wont bore you with another basket bag photo.  Needless to say it was like the other ones, although each time i make them they get slightly better.  I think it is only me that can see the improvements, Andrew thinks they all look the same.  I am pleased with my new labels though, I got them off etsy from this lovely person.  There is a close up of one of them in the following photos.  the basket bags made out of the suede fabric seem to be a huge hit, they look classically stylish and i am already getting interest from people who have seen the one just made so fingers crossed.

I had plans to do lots of sewing today as Martha is due to go to nursery for the afternoon, but as she only slept for approx. 4 hours last night, i think 5 hours at nursery is out of the question.  Oliver is also off school with a bad throat, so i am completely shattered and a tad snappy.  We are supposed to be having out first night without children since oliver was born tonight, mum is having them to stay for the first time.  can you believe that one is ill and Martha is going to the doctors to make sure there is nothing lurking that is keeping her awake.  I am determined they are still going to sleep over though.  Anyway back to those bags, the next two orders were for the fold away grocery bag designed by Lisa.  these are a big hit amongst my friends and they are good fun to do in mad fabrics.  the only problem is, the cost.  Obviosuly there is a limit to how much you can sell a grocery bag for, yet the amount of work is probably more than for a basket, so I tend not to advertise them too much. The only instruction for fabric that i was given was green and funky, so off to Ikea i toddled, these are the results.

cool fabric isnt it?  It works really well and Catherine loves both of them (which is good obviously)

It is hard to see in this photo but the labels are actually pale blue and have a little red bird on a branch.  They do not fray

A little touch i have just added to my orders, is a favour bag with my moo cards and a sweetie in.  I thought it was a nice touch.

I now have to remember the pattern i drew up nearly 18 months ago but cant find for the beach bag and also work on a design for a little pink bag for my daughter – who it turns out since starting this post has an ear infection hence the sleepless night!  If her bag works out well, I may well make a few of them to put into my etsy shop which is looking sparce.

have a fab weekend everyone

Life took over

What can i say, i lost the urge to write my blog.  I havent been sewing and for my sins i signed up to take part in this, which i completed.  So yes i am the proud owner of a first draft of my first ever novel.  Which i am actually quite pleased with, the story does have the potential to be really good; obviously though the book needs to go through a second, third draft but i am moving away from it until after Christmas.  not least because i have loads of bag orders to fulfill.

So how has everyone been, we have all been really good actually.  I have been going to yoga, body pump and step and feeling really good, even though the scales have been staying the same.

So i am making two grocery bags this week, to be followed by a beach bag (yes i know it is snowing but some people are strange) and a basket bag.  I also have an order for one of these beauties that i made myself a few months ago

I am really pleased with it and use it all the time.  It gets a lot of comments.  I was especially pleased with the turn and lock fastener.  The handle and other accessories are from Lisa of course.

Anyway really nice to be back and blogging, I hope you havent all forgotten about me.  I have been reading your blogs if not commenting.

All good plans etc etc

In Suzanne’s latest post she writes about her on-going “discussion” with her husband about the state of the house, a situation i constantly find myself in.  If you remember, a couple of posts ago i vowed to de-clutter my house.  i am doing small areas at a time and am either selling stuff, putting it on freecycle or recycling/binning it.  The problem i have is that andrew wants to keep everything.  We have a garage just full of crap.  Today i got rid of a fridge/freezer, I put it on freecycle and it got snapped up. It is in such a bad state at the minute but in fully working order.  All it needs is a big clean.  Andrew has gone through the roof.  What if we need the fridge space for beers???  Good question but when you cant get to the bloody thing becuase of all the other stuff “we might need” it is a pointless question.  Anyway he is Kuwait, I am here it has gone.  As have a few other things.

During my little de-cluttering session today whilst martha slept, i found a bag of milano glass that Andrew bought back from Venice – completely free and straight from the factory.  So i have made a couple of rings to start of with.  Here is the first.  Some of the bits are a bit chipped so i may use them for some mosaicing.  I had promised myself that i wasnt going to make anything until the sorting was done but i just couldnt resist.  they didnt take long. 

I have plenty more of these stones in lots of pretty colours, this one is going to go into my etsy shop, but if you would like one obviously just let me know.  I may even do a give-away soon and one of these can be my prize.

Off to do more de-cluttering

A new site of lovliness

To all you crafters out there, have you seen busymitts yet.  it is fab i havent got much on there yet but some of the creations are really beautiful.  well worth a look

I’m Back

Well not that i have been anywhere (apart from france) but i havent felt the urge to write my blog so well i didnt.  But i have really started to miss everyone in blogland,so have got off my backside and started typing again.  Off to the park in a little while but just thought i would post my latest finished projects.  I have a bag order to complete (which is late but martha’s hospital visits have put me behind somewhat) and am determined to teach myself how to knit socks even though it looks like THE most complicated thing to do ever.  I am knitting a bag at the minute and a little pair of shoes for my nephew.  I have also joined a knitting group in the village which had it’s first meeting yesterday

Hope you are all well and i will get back into reading everybodies blogs and also hope to hear from you all soon.

The first picture is of a skirt i made for my daughter out of material lying around in my fabric stash.  the second is my first ever attempt at clothes for me using a pack from www.clothkits.co.uk which are just great.  The last photo is of a faux suede bag with my attempt at embroidery.  the bag order i am meant to be working on at the minute will be similar to this but instead of embroidery it will have an appique flower.  the orders are for the same person and she has given one to her sister in law, so she wanted them in the same fabric with different embellishments

sew through summer

Well there is nothing like being booked to hold a bag party and the next day receiving two bag orders to get the creative flow going again.  Let me tell you it needed a big kick start.  I just wanted to read and do yoga over the last few weeks, i couldn’t be bothered to write or do any sewing.  For me not writing is really quite strange.  But rather than panicking about it i decided to go with the flow.  Plus we had new windows put in so the sewing room had to be packed up which made things quite tricky.

anyway i have had two orders for fabric bags, both in faux brown suede.  I am trying to make it a policy that no two bags are the same so i am in a little bit of an argument with my friend as when she heard my ideas for the first she wanted the second to be identical!!

I dont know if you remember this bag, made for my friend Cath about a year ago?

Well the outside fabric will be the same with the same handles.  the lining will be a speckled pale blue and on the front of the bag will be an embroidered flower with a beaded centre.  I am hoping that it will look really pretty.

Martha is having a play date this morning so i have a couple of hours free to cut and sew the flower.

Hope everybody is ok and i will be taking some time this avo to catch up on every body’s blogs