British Summer Time and discoveries...

what a lovely day! the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the waft of home made bread is coming from the kitchen, sighhhhh.

took some photos while the sun was out - first, some 10" embroidered squares I have just finished for my patchwork curtains. The project is going to take longer than I thought, but I am frantically learning PATIENCE! lol

When Grandma moved into a home several years ago, I cleared out her sewing room. Most of the stuff has been sat in two huge baskets in a cupboard since then, so decided to go through it all last night. There is still a lot of Lace making equipment I haven't attempted to sort out, but while going through the rest of the stuff came across some real gems!
These are all transfers for embroidery - for King George VI! and as you can see the date is 1937 making them about 71 years old.
found a couple of her hat pins, and remember her always having a small brown jug on the windowsill in the kitchen with them all in - I now want to collect hat pins!
There's a whole tin full of buttons she had collected off old garments, strung together with wool, then found another tin with all these old linen shirt buttons - too nice to use!
and these wonderful 1970's buttons from the co-op - I remember having a cardigan she knit me with the orange buttons on - ahhh, nostalgia!
Life couldn't get much nicer! and the sewing room got a lovely glass cupboard added yesterday courtesy of Husband who cleaned it all up and installed it. this is a special message for him, who thinks blog names are twee - Thank you Shauny Sugar Cakes, your buns are the sweetest of all! xxx

Just Think!

Just think! some night the stars will gleam
Upon a cold, grey stone,
And trace a name with silver beam,
And lo! 'twill be your own.

That night is speeding on to greet
Your epitaphic rhyme.
Your life i but a little beat
Within the heart of time.

A little gain, a little pain,
A laugh, lest you may moan;
A little blame, a little fame,
A star-gleam on a stone.


From, the best of Robert Service

a day out in manchester...

yesterday Taryn and I decided to do a gallery visit to Manchester rather than a shopping trip. we started out at the Manchester Art Gallery, great exhibition about the history of Manchester, then lunch, and in our usual 'just our luck' way, we walked to the corner house where it was gallery change over day - in all the exhibitions, so nothing to see there, and we didn't fancy any of the films on. came back through primark, and didn't spend a single penny, then on our way back to the car park at the MEN decided to check out URBIS - passed it loads of times but never been in - WOW! it was fantastic! I recommend the place to anyone passing by, just for the funky building and weird cable car style lift!

top floor was dedicated to Manchester born fashion designer Matthew Williamson: Ten Years in Fashion -loved this design board, and the floating dismembered body's showing off the outfits that would never fit me!

the bottom floor was How manga took over the world - I do like a lot of the imagery used in manga, but this had to be my favourite picture in the exhibition, as I am THE WORLDS NUMBER 1 Star Wars fan!! woohoo!!!!

SO, overall, good day had by us both, both very tired and content when we got home, loads of leaflets collected and postcards purchased! all in all this has turned out to be quite a good week off work! please don't make me go back!!!!!

family walk

it isn't often I manage to persuade daughter unit and husband unit to both come for a walk with me, individually it isn't a problem, but together... any, we had one of those rare family moments, it was a lovely day, sunny on and off, we built a damn in the stream, took photo's of spring flowers, and got really muddy and tired! ah, look at their happy little faces - smiling at me stood knee deep in water!

unfortunately these forsythia blossoms were getting a bit past it, but they definitely reflected to mood of the day in there sunny disposition!

and this was supper - a couple of juicy fig crumbles! straight from the oven, bubbling away - yum!!

Happy Easter!

well Easter has been fantastic so far! postman woke me up yesterday, ran downstairs with the dog, and there was my parcel from Sophie Stansfield designs - I thought I had won a gorgeous egg cosy in her give away, but look what else was in the parcel - the sweetest bunny with hug me arms, and a lovely card - thanks so much Sophie, really made my day! took them all over with me showing off!

the Easter feeling then gripped me, so Taryn and I encamped in the kitchen, melting chocolate and crushing shredded wheat etc - we made shreddy nests and rice crispy cakes for all! then ate the rest ourselves...

and today, is my nieces birthday - I have been busy creating a sewing kit for her - finally finished it last night, and now it is all wrapped up ready for her to pop round and collect.

then... a walk in the sunshine I think, to see lambs!(and eating some later - yum) the BBC predicted a really rotten weekend for weather, and so far, it may have have been freezing cold, a bit snowy, and the odd cloud, but the most part it had been so sunny and spring like - I love it!!!!

nearly here!

last day at work today, then I am off for a whole 10 days!

I am so excited - mostly because anything is better than being sat in an office for 8 hours a day when I could be at home doing and making, but also because I have a list of projects I can't wait to get stuck into this week - patchwork curtains for the bedroom being number 1.

I have also planned some time out with Taryn, we are off to the Corner House in Manchester, plus any other galaries we can get to, and a day out in the lovely market town of Skipton.

Borwick Hall was just amazing! one of the best drum circles I have ever done, and the kids were amaxing, plus I managed to give Taryn a tour around the hall.

mid week blues

just been flicking through my favourite blogs - then got to one from Melbourne Australia where they are having a heat wave - harumph - we are in the middle of what was supposed to a hurricane, but is really just more of the same grey miserable cold wet weather we seamed to endure for most of the year!
I have a mega busy weekend coming up with no time scheduled for the sewing room - I suppose I will be doing something I absolutely love, but won't end up with a finished product.
I am spending all day Saturday attending an African Drumming workshop with my old teacher who is back from her adventures in Africa - so really looking forward to seeing her, and learning some new patterns, then Saturday night I am off to the wonderful Borwick Hall near Lancaster to run an African Drum workshop of my own - spent most of my teenage years at borwick, every other weekend and haven't been there since I was pregnant with Taryn, who is 16 now, so can't wait to go and see the place, and hopefully feel some of that special vibe the place held for me.

who knows, might just get near a sewing machine before the weekend with any luck and a little inspiration!

spring...?

Well - some spring like flowers appearing at last!

neice number one's birthday coming up very soon - she has shown a keen interest in sewing, always joining me in my sewing room, so have made this frog, and a kit for her to make her own with for her birthday! - took photo's of each stage, but decided not to publish the one with stuffing hanging out of his bottom!

and just finished these two from my Aranzi Aronzo book - having problems with embroidered faces at the moment - so these two are a bit weird looking! oh well - I still love them x

right - off to the 'chub club' as Taryn calls it. I feel like I am in training for easter at the moment, and am managing to get my chocolate consumption to a new record high!

I love sewing!

Just had one of those lovely weekends, where there are no arguments, no disasters, the sun shone a little bit, there were daffodils and snow drops everywhere - and I spent plenty of time in my sewing room!

Finally finished off this tiny rag doll - she is about 10" tall. Can't for the life of me think of a name for her though...

After Visiting Mumsy-in-law on Mothers day, we stopped off on 'the tops' (the old road to our next town) and decided to take some pictures Au natural (not me of course!) hadn't realised just how cold and windy it was though - and my poor fingers were numb in about 2 minutes.

I have been checking out the amazing Hillary Lang's blog recently after discovering her work in a couple of books I have - so all credits due to her for the next couple of makes - this is Wee Bunny - in very strong wind! (his ears do actually stand up straight...) I think he will be going to baby Jessica my niece, for Easter...ahhh

And here is another Wee Wonderful - this is Pea nut the wee elephant! I just adore this guy! I did make one of his eye's a bit wonky, but Taryn my daughter who is now pea nut's guardian thinks this makes him a bit 'special'

so she took this photo of herself for me to show her happiness. teenagers, godda love 'em....?

My next project is another wee wonderful - my oldest niece Maisy has asked for one of Hillary Lang's truly amazing 'pointy kitty's' for her birthday on the 24th of march - and after looking on the wee wonderful pointy kitty photo gallery at the 400+ variations can't wait to make my own version(s)

Here comes the weekend!

Strange! been working overtime today, and as I don't usually work on a Saturday, it still feels like Friday, and I have taken Monday off to make it into a weekend, so hopefully will get some time in the sewing room.
I have a million and 1 projects that are bursting to be made - mainly soft toys, and that is the influence of blog land for you!
mumsy bought me a couple of Aranzi Aronzo books, and I found the perfect cot sheets in brushed cotton for the cute dolls at our local mill - oswaldtwistle mills - a proper lancashire mill (if not way too commercial now).
anyway - it is mothers day tomorrow - been racking my brain for weeks what to make for mumsy and mumsy-in-law and finally found inspiration in the good old woman's weekly.

Went trawling round charity shops this week with my daughter Taryn - she spotted a complete china tea service minus one cup for only £2.75 - what a bargain! so had Taryn, and my oldest niece Maisy all in the tiny kitchen last Thursday evening making candles in cups - found a candle making kit I got at a jumble sale donkeys years ago - and now I want to make loads of candles! we scented them with begamot and geranium oil - I think they are quite sweet, hope the mums do too...


Also found the 'Bavarian' cup and saucer in another charity shop for the grand price of £1 - so had too have it. Husband wants to know what I am going to do with these strange china objects - I have told him "they are for putting little things in, in the sewing room! d'oh!"