Tree Fall

WIP Friday (on Friday! (almost))

It's Bella's Friday at my Mom's, so I was able to spend the entire day listening to podcasts and work, work, working. Very nice indeed.

At the moment I'm working on a new baby range, so I'm playing with a lot of different textures and patterns. I'm aiming for the stimulation of bright patterns teamed with the snuggly softness of minky, chenille and flannel.

And I'm spending a lot of time wishing I could make these mini blankies in a big grown up size! They are so soft and comforting.
The range includes crib blankets, bibs and mini blankies and so far comes in a range of pinks, greens and blues.

I've also been working on some kids drawing sets, but they're not finished yet.

And as if being able to spend a whole, uninterrupted day working wasn't enough, I also got my copy of the wonderful Crafters Companion today. It is such a great book, Anna  did a fantastic job and I just felt so proud of everyone as I Ohhed and Ahhed my way through it. I haven't sat down with it fully yet, I'm saving it for a quiet moment over the weekend.
I got another book too, but I'm going to save that for another post because it demands photo's and it didn't arrive early enough in the day to take any.
And the fun didn't stop there, I also received two parcels of fabric today and, yes and, Jim and I got to go out for coffee and magazines tonight! How lucky am I to have such a great day? Oh and there's still more (!) when I got home there was a lovely, generous email waiting for me, that really made me smile.
So a big thank you to Mom for having Bella, my UPS guy for braving the huge puddle outside our house in order to deliver my fabric, the Amazon girl who delivered my books and even closed the gate behind her, meaning that I didn't have to run out in the rain in just my socks to do it myself, all the podcasters out there that stop me from watching reruns of Murder She Wrote, Jim for being the sort of husband that appreciates the excitement of a new issue of Selvedge (great issue) and my agent  for getting me such great roles and my lawyer for being so supportive and my high school drama teacher and.. and.. oh you get the picture!
Oh and hey, I think I may have just multi tasked and combined a WIP Friday with a Gratitude Friday. Cool.

(edited to add the pic of Bella wearing dolly's jumper on her head whilst watching Wizard Of Oz. Duh, obviously!)

Ooo and while we're all here could I be really cheeky and ask if anyone fancies a little swap? I really want to get my hands on a copy of Martha's Holiday magazine (the one that Alicia has a photo of on todays fantastic post) and I know this is going to sound silly, but I saw an advert in one of the US magazines for Halloween peanut M&M's and I so want a bag of them! So if anyone wants to suggest something I could send them in return please let me know. Cheers!

I just can't think of a decent title.

Sometimes when I sit down to write a post I feel exactly the way I used to in school when I had to write an essay. I would sit with all my references in front of me and feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. I had so much to say and so much evidence, so many quotes and references. How could I pull it all together and make it not only cohesive, but interesting and sometimes dare I say, even fun?
With blogging I find it even more overwhelming. There are so many references, so many people out there saying wonderful, inciteful things and even more saying unbelievably stupid things and I want to discuss them and link to them and gather them all up in this one place, for me to look at.

Time is a major force in my life these days. I don't have the time to write amazing pieces that will make you all stop and gasp and more, oh so much more to the point, I don't have the skill or talent. So when I do have a quiet moment, on those rare occasions when my family are in bed before me, I still don't write that incredible blogosphere elevating post. That one that will get me noticed, that will have everyone nodding and sighing. You know the one I mean.
In fact I generally get to this point and delete it all, because lets be frank, who really needs to read more self important crap?  And oh, I can't tell you how much my finger is itching to hit that button right now. Should I do it? Should I? Huh?

Anyway, doubts and doubters aside, what I really want to do is talk about a few different things.
Starting with a link to Hillary's post about the latest flare up in copyright issues. There have been quite a few different discussions doing the rounds about linking to blogs and using photo's etc and up until now I've chosen to stay out of it. Not because it rarely affects me but because I've been unsure about what I wanted to say. However, Hillary pretty much sums up exactly how I feel about it. I too am fine with somebody using my photo's as long as they link directly back to me. I also am more than happy for anyone to reproduce my words as long as they have the decency to acknowledge that they are my words. I am downright grateful for anyone that wants to link to me. And to be honest, I'm just a little jealous of the people who are being copied? As annoying as it would be, how much of a compliment is it that people want to pretend your work is theirs? Of course that doesn't make it ok. Of course not. And of course maybe I'm alone in this, but I would be as shocked as all get out if I thought that somebody else wanted to be like me! However, that is not an invitation. And just in case there's a misunderstanding here, I am not saying that infringing somebody's rights is ok. It is not.

I've also been really aware over the last few weeks how much the blogging world truly exposes us to. There is just some much going on out there.  So much that shows how it all revolves, how it all just keeps on going. I really felt it when I lost the baby. In my little insulated world it was all about loss. But out there in the bigger and better world it was about joy and hope. I'm so aware at the moment that there are wonderful new beginnings and terribly, terribly sad endings.  And I don't think I've ever been exposed to so much of it before, at least not in a way that I care about. There are many bonuses to blogging, but one of the surprising ones for me is that it really makes you appreciate life and all that involves. When I have felt at my lowest I have read a post that reminds me to look up or one that reminds me that there are others having to bear so much more than I have to. And I am always grateful that someone out there has been gracious enough to share their joy or their pain. I am grateful that I am not allowed to think 'Why me?'. I am grateful that I get to read it all and experience a small part of it. And I'm grateful that some of you read me and share my joy and pain and really do let me know that it all just goes around.  And I guess that is probably why I have not pressed that delete button (yet).

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

A couple of new books arrived last week.

I first read about this book here and it immediately appealed to me. I am a complete novice when it comes to making clothes and I'm desperate to learn how. I long to make Bella's clothes and am just so jealous everytime I read one of Amanda's posts about running up numerous dresses and trousers for the kids. And goodness, you can't imagine how amazed I am when I read Amy's posts on the incredible coats and dresses that she makes for her girls. Not to mention Alison's extraordinary knitted and sewn baby clothes (have you seen her beautiful latest creation, the gorgeous Pia Lola?  Gorgeous, gorgeousness).
So anyway, when I read Amy's review and saw that the book was great for beginners a whole new world seemed to stretch out in front of me. And yes,I have to say that it is indeed a wonderful book. It's ultra cool looking and feeling - infact it's been sitting on the table in my front room for a week now, just because it looks so darn cool. And although I haven't had time yet to really sit down and study it, it certainly promises much.

The next book that arrived was Toys to Sew by Claire Garland.

Claires previous books include the wonderful Embroidered Treasures which is a  favourite of mine. As well as Knitted Babes, a book that Jim apparently wants to buy as soon as he is profficient in knitting (uh huh).
I first spotted this new book at the Embroidery show a few weeks ago and wanted to take it home with me there and then, but I was patient and ordered it for slightly less online.

It isn't quite as totally wonderful as Embroidered Treasures, but it's still a book that I would definitely recommend. It has 25 patterns for soft toys, including dolls and their clothes, with pretty straight forward instructions and templates. My favourite's include a very sweet turtle and a pull a long elephant.

This next book was an impulse  purchase at the Embroidery Show .

It's a little dated in places (published 11 years ago!) with nothing particularly original about it, but I really love the simplicity of so many of their designs and I couldn't resist.  Although some of their ideas are down right nuts.

Can you imagine? Do you really want someone who's about to wipe their bum touching your beautiful embroidery?? Nope, this one's not for me. Although I do love the actual embroidered flowers and vases so much. Just not enough to use it on a toilet roll holder!

The book is very Japan does Sweden, with a little Amish thrown in for good measure. But hey , that can only be a good thing.

We're having a mixed day today - you know the type, Bella isn't coping well because Mama isn't coping well. So in an attempt to lighten things up a little, we went for a stomp in the woods.

Bella is addicted to the Wizard of Oz at the moment and by addicted I mean that we watch it a minimum of 3 times a day from beginning to end. If I wasn't feeling so guilty about just how much tv that means she's watching, I would be proud of how incredible her attention span is!
Her favourite character is the Cowardly Lion, who just so happens to live in a wood. Bella was pretty sure that it was our local wood that he lived in. I'm not so sure, but what do I know? We sure did look for him though.

WIP Friday (on Saturday)

Just a quick post. We've got a wedding to go to today, which is causing a little bit of stress because it means that I won't get any work done today and I am snowed under. I also have nothing to wear and am covered in spots - at 36? What is that about??

Anyway, more importantly - green! Loving green this week.

Hey it's Autumn, got to love those red and orange wool felts.

New range of crib quilts. Many, many more to come.

And on an entirely unrelated note, Bella has started wanting to dress herself (aarrgghhh) and I'm proud to say, comes up with some interesting combinations.

This little number consists of my (stupidly expensive) sunglasses, her new hat from H&M which is supposed to be for 7-11 year olds!  And her favourite style of 'off the shoulder'!

I'm thinking that I see Project Runway in our not too distant future.

Right, time to throw everything out of my wardrobe in disgust and possibly stamp my feet about how awful I look and how much I don't want to go. Have a great weekend!

Bags of Love

I've been sulking for the last few days. Could you tell? You see, last Sunday I found some really great stuff at the car boot sale and over the last few days I've been crafting away like a nut. Which is all blogworthy stuff and yet there has been no new post. Why? Because the sun died and left us in eternal semi gloom, that's why.
Or, I guess more to the point, it's been foggy and the nights have drawn in and I just can't get a decent photograph. Oh and I may have forgotten to put the memory card in the camera, again, but lets choose to ignore that, ok?

Today, however, promised to be a little more blog friendly. But before I could get around to taking photo's I decided to take Bella out for a walk in the beautiful Autumnal sunshine. Usually we go everywhere with Bella sitting in her buggy, but she's been enjoying walking more and more lately, so I thought we could take a leisurely stroll to the indoor playcentre (about 10 minutes walking at a snails Bella's pace)and then Bella could run around for an hour whilst I drank tea and maybe even sat down.

However, as any parent will tell you, plans are for fools!
The first part ot the walk was lovely with Bella kicking leaves for the first time ever (and in the process making my heart just ache with how grown up she is). But when we arrived at the play centre, instead of the usual squeals of delight, I was greeted with 'No, no,no,no,no'. Rather than go and play (and allow me to sit down) Bella was enjoying her walk so much that she wanted to continue down the road. And I was more than  willing to sacrifice a little respite if it meant watching her kick more leaves and look in little cracks in the walls and shout 'CAR!' at every passing car.
I was even willing to be flexible enough to adapt my initial  plan. This time I thought we could continue the walk down to the train station and then jump on the train in to town (allowing me to sit down for 5 minutes only, but it was still a rest, right?) and then depending on how tired we both were and how well we were coping, I thought we could either find somewhere to have some lunch or we could turn around and get the next train back again - allowing us both to rest our legs again for another 5 minutes and build up the strength for the uphill walk home.
And all of that would have worked perfectly, had we not missed the train in to town. And had Bella not seen the train speed away and had she not then become hysterical that we weren't on it.
The rest of the journey home doesn't bare repeating in detail. Suffice to say, we were tired. And we (she) screamed. And we (she) scratched faces. And we (she, she,she) had to be carried most of the long, long, uphill way home.
Plans schmans.

I made this bag yesterday and I'm really happy with it. I'm not very good in general with bags, but this one just worked so nicely. I obviously didn't use a pattern, I just made it up as I went along and actually managed to make the whole thing from beginning to end in Bella's nap time.
I don't think that you can tell from the photo's but the whole top of the bag folds over to create the flap. I used a combination of Japanese fabrics and a stripy cotton twill that I found at the Embroidery show the other week at a bargain price. The buttons are only for show, because the top folds over there isn't a need for an actual closure but I love these two vintage buttons and they are perfect for the bag.

I made this apron on Monday. It's on it's way to the US to take part in a charity auction.

The pocket is made from a Lecian printed linen that I got for a £1 at the Quilt Festival in August. It was being sold in half yard pieces and I was lucky enough to find 3 pieces in total. It's one of those fabrics that you just don't want to cut into, but hell, it's for charity.

I have two (possibly three) shows on next month (anyone near Leeds fancy coming?) and I'm definitely going to make a few aprons for it. Got the bug now.

And finally (because as I said, I've been able to take photo's today), here's one of my wonderful finds from Sunday.

Love.

Oh and bless her, as payment for the horror of The Walk, Bella had a three hour nap this afternoon. Three. Whole. Hours.

Autumn on my mind

The weather has really turned in the last few days. Friday morning when I drew back the curtains I thought that the window was all steamed up. It's been so long since I've been faced with a cold, foggy morning that it actually confused me when I opened the back door and saw that the garden was missing.
It is lovely to be able to pull on my boots and my combats though. And it was chilly enough to dress Bella in the best, best, best ever striped tights the other day. I'm telling you, she looked cool and she knew it too.

I wonder why Autumn is so evocative for so many creative people? What is it that makes so many of us feel as though a forgotten memory has finally been remembered when the leaves start to fall and the light turns to russet?
I love spring and summer so very much, but Autumn? Autumn is not just a season, it's an emotion.
I think that for me it started when I was 23. I had been working in a video shop and going to college, studying carpentry and I was bored and frustrated. The course that I was on was nothing that I imagined it would be (if you ever find yourself at Edinburgh Zoo, look up when you're in the Darwin Centre - I helped build that roof.), and working for Blockbuster sucked.

One day whilst flicking through a book on country crafts, I came across a picture of a Naive Art style Draughts (chequers) board and it ignited something in me. I immediately bought the wood necessary to make it, from my local timber yard, and got to work, changing the design slightly and making it my own.
It was a simple design that involved very little real skill, but I absolutely loved making it and started on the second before the varnish on the first board was dry.
Within a couple of days I had five or six Draughts boards and a plan! There was a shop in the West End of Edinburgh called Huckleberrys, that sold American style country gifts and I was sure that my chessboards would fit right in.

After arranging an appointment to meet the owner, I trooped down to the shop with all six boards and a lot of hope (and even more fear). I was reasonably sure that the owner would politely explain that they sold only high end, well made gifts and suggest that I try somewhere else, somewhere not quite as nice, somewhere with lower standards.
But she didn't. Instead she Ooohed and Ahhed and promptly ordered 10 draughts boards.
I was amazed and more than a little sure that I couldn't actually make ten boards in the time that she wanted them. But I went home and ordered more wood and bought more stencil card and got to work.

And for the next four weeks, I spent every spare moment working. I sat at my desk, under the window of the tiny room that I shared as a workroom with my then husband. And I watched the light change, but not the trees, because there weren't any trees in that part of Edinburgh. And I finally thought that I'd done it. I'd found my thing .
In the Autumn of 1993 I found out that not only could I create something from nothing, but that people would buy it. And I can still remember exactly what that felt like.

Book Bags and Yarn

Alrighty, I'm guessing that my soul searching, life questioning, too much information giving  posts over the last month or so are beginning to take their toll. So I am going to make a concerted effort to banish the heavy stuff (as Marge Simpson would say - you need to push all that stuff down deep,deep inside you and ignore it) and focus on what I hope is the good stuff.
So without further ado, here is a book bag that I made this week for my nephews 4th birthday.

I wanted it to be boyish but still bright and good fun.

I fully lined the bag using a lilac gingham from Paul Smith, that I hope isn't too girly once it's combined with the other fabrics.

I think I almost love the straps the most - those two fabrics together are the best.

I figured that even a 4 year old needs a key ring.
And I used a wonderful Boden cowboy print for the main body of the bag, including the front pocket.

You may remember that a while ago Jim asked for advice on which book to buy to help teach him how to knit. Well the majority of the answers suggested that we get  Stitch and Bitch Nation - so we did. And it now sits happily on my bookshelf. Uh huh, it just sits there. So in an attempt to kick start my husband in to action, whilst I was at the Fashion and Embroidery Show last weekend, I bought him some new, rather lovely bamboo needles and some gorgeous coloured yarn (which in this photo looks a little scratchy but really isn't).

Which you'll be glad to know now sits looking beautiful in my studio.
Maybe one day we'll all parade, resplendent in our hand knitted garbs, but I have a sneaking suspicion that that day is still a ways off.

Standing Up

Like thousands of other people I have been thinking about Heather   this week. And like millions of other people I have been affected by depression. I was diagnosed with depression at the age of twelve. And although I was free of it by the time I was 16, it took another 10 years before I stopped being terrified of tripping up and plunging back in to that deep, deep black hole.

Since having Bella, there have been moments of absolute despair. Moments that have felt terrifyingly familiar. Moments that were surely only a stumble trip away from total blackness. But I have always recovered and usually within a day or even an hour. And yet I have been left wondering many a time, whether or not I have actually already fallen and just haven't realised it yet. Are the sometimes extreme highs and lows actually my old friend slowly but surely moving in for an extended visit? Is it getting darker in here, or is it just me?
When I read Heather's post about her returning depression I felt like something shifted slightly. As though something that I knew had just been proven to be a lie. I don't know Heather and don't even read her blog all the time, but even after all these years I still seem to feel the need to find strength in numbers. The more of us who beat it and  the more of us who survive, the more depression seems to diminish in it's power. And when someone is clawed back, it feels like a personal strike. And that simply pisses me off.

Yesterday was a bad day. Bella had an awful appointment at the hospital, that left my soul feeling just a little more ragged and raw and I discovered that my defences are pitifully low. But then I came home and I watched the beautiful Leta run and giggle and I read that I 'stand up eight times'  and I retreated to my studio and sewed a little corner of my heart in to a piece of work, and everything was ok again. So you know what? That hole? It's a long, long way off. In fact it's not even really there. That darkness is just a shadow and nothing more.

Today, was a much better day - and don't you know, that's how it works for us all. In fact, at times it was an amazing day. A box of fabric arrived. A box of books arrived. I finshed a project - for me no less. And best of all, Bella sat with her tiny arm wrapped around my neck, with her fingers entwined in my hair and laughed and shouted and jumped and said 'bye bye' as we watched the whole of Elmo's Adventure in Grouchland' on the sofa, under her quilt. And that brief, brief couple of hours washed my soul clean. Those few hours allow me to smile through the shit. They allow me to rage and rant and scream and yet still rise the next morning.

This evening Jim drove Bella over to my folks house so that I can work tomorrow. As soon as they left, I put on my new coat that makes me feel warm and look cool (for my age;) and turned Jack Johnson up loud on my IPod and took a stroll up the road to buy a bottle of wine. And as I walked I thought about this post and I thought about my life and I thought about Bella. And I smiled. A lot.

Sunday dawdles

Yesterday was a pretty nice day. The weather was good which meant we could car boot. Then the weather was bad which meant we could take Bella to her favourite indoor playground without feeling guilty about the fact that we weren't outdoors.

And we were able to drink tea whilst she had an absolute riot with a group of much older boys (6 years to 10 years old!). We were so proud as we watched her run around the play centre chasing after the boys and then running away from them, all the while dealing with their noise and high energy and not once losing patience as they teased her something rotton, holding their football always just out of her reach. At 20 months old, Bella held her own and got the joke - can you say PROUD!
Then the weather was good again and we were able to drive out to Harrogate  so that Jim could drop me off at the Fashion and Embroidery Show, whilst he and Bella went for a walk around the town and did a little shopping.
Meaning that I had 3 hours on. my. own. Not only on my own, but on my own in the middle of an embroidery and quilting show. With a credit card. Heaven.

The fact that I don't have my driving licence means that I very rarely get to be anywhere on  my own because Jim has to drive me everywhere and obviously Bella has to come too. So it's precious, precious time when I am able to just dawdle and take my time and perhaps even talk to other adults. Add fabric and thread to the mix and Oh boy!

The show itself isn't that great, it's a little provencial up here and we don't get the kind of vendors that you would see at the NEC or Ally Pally. But I managed to find some reduced Liberty fabrics amongst other things, and even sat and drank a glass of wine whilst nibbling on fruit cake, enjoying the hustle and bustle.
I also found a few local-ish quilt shops that I didn't know about, including one that holds classes that I would actually be interested in. So definitely a nice way to spend a few hours. And most importantly, I spent them on my own. Did I mention that I was on my own?

The box is an Ikea box that I covered with William Morris wallpaper samples that I've been hoarding. They are the most amazing, hand printed papers and I've been loathe to use them as I only have small pieces and could never afford to buy the actual rolls, but this box was the perfect project for them.  I just cut the pieces to size and then glued them on using PVA. Quick and simple but I am really pleased with the end result.

The other thing that I managed to do yesterday was actually photograph my new bunny. So here she is, my little Blue Bunny. She's made from polka dot flannel and baby blue chenille and is super soft.

And she sports a pretty hipster belt and corsage.

Yep, yesterday was a pretty nice day.

Duh

I finished two orders last night that have been making me feel a little anxious. I'm not sure why really, except that I've found it a little hard to get back in to the swing of things lately and these orders had definite deadlines. Anyway, I've been promising myself all week that once they were done and dusted  I would get started on a couple of new quilts, or perhaps finish off the napmats that have been sitting in the 'Please finish me' pile for a goodly time, or I could even *gasp* go to bed early and read a book.
But you know, the very second that I stitched that final stitch, my mind went blank. The quilt designs that have been teasing me for weeks just disappeared from my mind and the desire to finish anything vanished in to thin air. So I was left, just sitting and staring and feeling a little silly. I mean is it just me, or do other people develop creative blocks and no energy at the precise moment that they can now focus on something that they actually want to do?
Anyway, I did manage to put together a new bunny that I'm liking quite a bit, but it was something that I had no previous intention or desire to do. Go figure. Oh and I did manage to go to bed a little earlier and I did manage to read a page or two (although not of the new PJ Tracy book that I'm really wanting to read because I can't read scary books when Jim's away - I'm too much of a wimp).
As I said, I wasn't intending to make a new bunny but she has turned out nicely as you can see from the photo below.

Yeah, there's no photo. There was a photo shoot. And it was very pretty. And the sun was actually shining. And the bunny looked pretty cute.  And there was no memory card in the camera. Because I'm a moron.

So here's some photo's of some china that I thrifted last week instead.

I already own dinner and desert bowls in this design, so I was really pleased to find a set of teacups, saucers and side plates for £1.50.

Very cute little jug that I picked up for 5p!

I picked up two of these.

I got this wonderful bowl for free. Yes, free. They didn't think it was worth charging me for it! Sweet.

And just in case you thought this is actually a craft blog, this is part of the order from last night.

And a quick WIP.

Maybe I'll try the photo shoot again tomorrow.