Tree Fall

WIP Friday

Working on a christmas order for a shop in the US. It can be quite difficult getting into the christmas vibe when it's still only August, but I have to say that once the fabrics started arriving I really started enjoying it.

And here's my newest, most exciting Work In Progress...

It turns out that I made a slight mistake when I said that we'd failed to get pregnant last week. Yep I am actually pregnant! And still a little shocked. And already suffering morning sickness. And very, very happy. And did I mention shocked! And yes Toni, I promise I will take care of myself!
Wahoooooo! (and eeeeeeeekkk)

Isabella is Amelia

For a while there I was in the habit of only posting once a week, something you may have all actually been grateful for! But now look at me! Twice in one day. Goodness.
I do have a good reason though. I just couldn't wait to introduce you to my 'two' new girls. First of all, here's Isabella.

She's wearing a dress sewn from a green and cream print fabric that I think is called Buttons, that I absolutely love. I was able to get a couple of metres of it recently from a shop here in the UK, but it's not available anymore, so I'm only using it for very special people - like Isabella.
At the bottom of her dress I've used my latest favourite fabric. It's a cherry print that's going to be seen around here a lot more!

I've matched her hem to her rather jaunty little kneckerchief. Which I think she wears with great aplomb. ( I think it's been obvious from the photo's of me recently that I'm rather partial to wearing a scarf myself).

As you can see, she delights in her flower garden, particularly her prize winning (not really!) hydrangeas.

And now let me introduce you to her best friend in the world, Amelia.

As you can see, Amelia is a little more country than Isabella. Her dress is a beautiful red patchwork of vintage and modern fabrics. With a border at the bottom of a blue Liberty print called Kinnear.

Amelia sports a little mandarin style collar in matching Liberty fabric and also wears a vintage red and white star button on her hip. Because even when you're a little bit country you can still be a little bit rock and roll!

As you can see, Amelia also loves her hydrangeas. It's one of the many things that binds her and Isabella to eachother.

Whilst Isabella prefers a sporty bob (ish) with fringe swept across her face, Amelia prefers a much more natural and wild style. Although she does like to keep her fringe out of her eyes!

The girls may look very different but they have a lot in common, including amongst other things, walking in the woods, listening to music (loving Paolo Nuttini  at the moment) and of course travelling the world.  Although they never travel alone. Being joined at the hip means you're certainly never lonely.
(scary photo warning)

I have had so much fun making this doll (dolls) . I adore putting the fabric together for the dresses and get a very strange kick out of sewing on their hair and then styling it (a vocation missed there perhaps?).

Isabella/Amelia is available to a good home here .

WIP Friday

It's Bella's Friday away at my parents (and can I just interject right off the bat and say THANK YOU Mom and Dad for having Bella every other Friday!!), so I've been ignoring the glorious sunshine and slaving away in my studio.
I recently mentioned the fact that I've never really liked yellow  and that this has meant that I've never really worked with it. 
I have also  never really liked lilac and have to admit that I struggle buying lilac fabric and using it in quilts etc. But in the last couple of weeks I have recieved three seperate commisions, and all three customers have requested that I use lilac, so I've suddenly had to face my aversion head on.
Which is just dreadful, because it's meant that I've had to buy. more. fabric!  Pure hell. Obviously.

I've bought the pieces in dribs and drabs because I honestly have found it a little difficult to find prints that I really do like - athough of course, Kaffe Fassett has some lovely deep lilac/purple prints.
And actually that's what I've done, I've mixed the slightly more insipid lilacs with some beautiful, deep lilacs and blues.

Which is a good tip if you're struggling with a colour that you just find uninspiring. Pull in colours from either end of the scale to give it some oompfh. For example, I've not only gone all the way to using blues but also all the way the other way and pulled in some pinks. It really does make a difference.
And it explains why I struggle with yellow so much. Other than orange, which I'm also not keen on, I can't seem to pull in any other colours.
But anyway, these are my WIP piles for today. The fabrics above are for a quilt, a cushion and a rabbit, and below are the patchwork squares and limbs cut for two pink, one lilac and one blue rabbit.

And this is a little pile that I'm also working on , but it's a secret ,so shush.

Blondes and Brunettes

I had a commision recently for a blonde Princess and the Pea set and really enjoyed making it. I love the idea of the Princesses having different hair colour and dresses and of course it makes it a lot more fun for me too!

She's wearing a Laura Ashley red Toile print dress and has beautiful blonde yarn hair. Just look how much she's enjoying the sunshine in her flower garden.

As you can see, she's a very peaceful Princess.

I've used a couple of new fabrics for the mattresses (as well as the standard ones). And I'm glad to say that I've got these down pat now. For a while I was finding it very time consuming quilting ten tiny mattresses, but I have developed a technique that lets me whiz through them (relatively speaking).

I'm probably going to start making the totes in different fabrics as well. Although I love this green vintage fabric and it is perfect for them. It's a really good weight and is nice and strong, so it will survive being dragged around!

On another note, I was leaving some of my bits lying around today on my kitchen table (so to speak!), so that a particular visitor I had, could see them, without it looking like I was shoving them in her face and it all looked so pretty that I just had to take a photo.

And yup, there she is, one side of the latest topsy turvy doll. I love her. And I'm loving her other half too. In fact I'm enjoying it so much that I've decided to make some 'normal' dolls too - (so the answer to your question Molly is 'yes' I am making some normal dolls - sorry for being the slowest responder in the world!).

The Princess and the Pea set is now in the shop now.

Dolly Mixture

First of all a big, big thank you to everyone for the advice for Jim - please do keep it coming! He's very excited about it all and just a little nervous about the fact that now that it's out in the open he's actually going to have to do it!
Also a big thank you for the comments about the comments! I would still like to reply to as many comments as I can and just want to reiterate that if you left me a comment (particularly for the first time) and you didn't get a response, it is absolutely not because I didn't appreciate it. It's because my darn daughter just insists on taking all my attention! (where possible, always blame the kid!). Seriously though, if you saw how pathetic I am when I don't get comments, you'd first of all laugh and then you'd leave a comment out of pure pity!
I would also like to quickly say hello to two very important people (to me) that are now reading my blog.  Hi guys!
And now on to the  main  feature...

I don't think I generally blow my own trumpet, but I just have to today, so please bear with me for a moment.
I love this topsy turvy doll that I'm working on so damn much! She's really turning out to be a cutie, inside and out (hah!). I can't wait to show you her finished. But in the meantime here's another little peak.

When I was at the car boot sale the other day I found this gravy boat (?).

And I immediately thought of Kristy . Is this the same as the ones you collect Kristy? If so, who makes them?
Love the shape and colour and want to find more.

I'm still working my way through the Apples For Jam book and today I made my version of their chicken and noodle soup for Bella.

I used to make a lot of homemade soups but I've never made chicken soup before. I think the idea of boiling a whole chicken always scared me slightly! But this recipe was really easy so I thought what the hell, lets boil a bird. And it turned out very nice indeed.
I also baked the Pear Butter Cake from the book, but unfortunately it's now too dark to take a photo and Jim reliably informs me that there won't be any left by tomorrow morning, so you'll just have to take my word for the fact that it looks and tastes bloody lovely.

Jim had a day off yesterday and we all packed up the car and went on a road trip a la LLA  (try saying that after a glass or two of vino!).  We went back to Filey and this time Bella actually went in the  sea! 

That's us on the right. And that's as close as you get to seeing me in a bikini (and as close as you'd want to).

Can you believe that this is the North of England?? (which is usually bleak, bleak, bleak). Wonderful.

What?

Advice and Apologies

I was lucky enough to be given an IPod last week, for which I am incredibly grateful and already completely reliant on! But after a week of tucking it into my bra in order to carry it around with me (seriously, how classy am I?), I made a little pod carrier last night.

I used a Liberty fabric that I was lucky enough to find very cheaply in a new (to me) quilt shop in Sheffield. I'm thinking, dress for Bella amongst other things.

I also used vintage bias binding and some Japanese ribbon.

Much better than carrying it  in my bra.

I also finished this commisioned quilt over the weekend.

This is actually a minor miracle as my deadline was next week! Yep, I finished something early. Early I tell you.

I made these biscuits from  Apples For Jam this afternoon and am happy to report that they are lovely.

They're supposed to be plain oatmeal but I added some cranberries to give them a little extra something.
They're the fourth recipe that I've cooked from the book and I've loved every one of them. I've said it before and I'll say it again - it's a fantastic book and everyone should own it.

I've been meaning to ask a favour for a while now. Strangley enough Jim has decided that he really wants to learn how to knit. He loves the idea of knitting clothes and toys for Bella and is pretty excited about learning something new. I think this is great but unfortunately I am severly knitting challenged and can't help him, so I was wondering if there are any knitters that read my blog who could suggest a really good, really straight forward book that Jim could learn from. And also what is the best type of project  for him to start with? We have pretty much no knowledge at all, so it really needs to be something simple but not too dull.
I have to say that I think it's really cool that he wants to do this. He's always very supportive of everything that I do and is becoming pretty knowledgeable about quilting etc, but hasn't had a real interest of his own for the longest time. Although he has a degree in Film he now works for a soul destroying finance company and has kind of forgotten what it feels like to express himself and do something because he loves it - so I think it would be so good for him to have something new to focus on. So I would really, really appreciate any help or suggestions for getting him started.

As an aside, can I also just say that at the moment I have almost two hundred comments in my inbox waiting for replies and that I am desperately trying to catch up with them all. So if you've been kind enough to leave me a comment and I've been crap enough not to reply, please forgive me and please know that I appreciate every single one of them. And that they all mean something to me. I know that in the past I've left comments on other blogs and when they've not even been acknowledged it's made me not want to comment again - and if I've made anyone feel that way I'm very sorry and it's not because I don't care - it's because every single second of my 'free' time these days is spread so thinly that I just haven't got the time to do everything I want to. So again, sorry and hopefully I'll get caught up soon!

Rabbits and Cats

Finally. A SHOP update. I've been trying to finish everything off so that I could do one big update, but at the rate I'm working at that wouldn't happen until sometime next year!

Coney Rabbits.

And Frenchie Cats.

There's still topsy turvey dolls, a quilt and some other bits and pieces to come.

(sorry it's such a short post - I've spent all evening on Etsy!)

Rose Tinted Curtains

For a while now I've been collecting vintage barkcloth curtains*, and last weekend I found a pair of 1950's floral curtains at a carboot sale that caused me to nonchalantly ask,  how much - whilst inside my heart was beating just a little too fast. I know you know what I'm talking about!
They are the perfect colour and texture and in wonderful condition. They are also the first pair that I've actually had the courage to cut up and use.
My front room has been slowly changing over the last 7 months and is now a rather eclectic mix of vintage and modern, combining florals and patterns and patchwork. I don't know if it works for anyone else, but I'm really happy with it.

These curtains make me think of summertime with lemonade and cucumber sandwiches. They make me think of Enid Blyton and Mudeford (one of the places I lived as a child), of sunshine and sand and of a childhood that didn't exist in the main for me, but that I would love to create for Bella. The type of childhood described in 'Apples For Jam'.

Since becoming a mother I've had such a strong desire to 'return' to the good 'ole days. You know, the one's that only exist in our imagination. I want to bake cakes and sew dresses for Bella. I want to spend days lying in tall grass, eating picnics and sketching. I want to birdwatch and press flowers, stay up late to stargaze and paddle in the sea.

And as strange as it seems, when I look at these curtains blowing in the breeze, they make me feel that all of that may yet be possible.

And even more so, when I look at this tiny perfect chair next to Bella's books, under the curtains.
Is it silly to wish for the halcyon days? Maybe, but who cares. I've got the curtains and that's a start!

I haven't been able to do very much crafting this week and as a result I have a 'To Do' list as long as my arm. This is particularly annoying as Bella was at her childminders an extra day and Jim was off work Monday and Tuesday. But the week started badly with me coming down with some kind of bug and by midweek we'd had a small fire when the electric kettel exploded! Which really gave me a fright as Bella and I were alone in the house - fortunately Bella didn't know why we were suddenly standing in the garden instead of making me a cup of coffee to go with our midmorning snack.
That same day Bella fell down our garden steps and landed on chin and then she fell off my bed and caught her eye on my bedside table!
So as you can see, it's a good job that I at least have the curtains!

I did get this Princess and the Pea set finished though - along with another 3 sets (so if you're patiently waiting for your order, then a big, big thank you and they are now on their way).


And I've got some new Princess's on the cutting table, with new dresses and bags.

I did also manage to start the button brooches that I hinted at last week. More to come about those though - they're not quite finished.

*As soon as I wrote that I had my curtain collection I realised that I want to blog about that, but it's too dark to take photo's now - so I shall try and remember to do it another day.

My Day Today

Bella headed off to my mom's last night for a very short holiday (back tomorrow), so I had a full day of work today. Usually when I have a day like today I insist on getting out of bed as early as I can bare (bear? which one is it? why am I brain dead?) and often don't even take the time to shower. I just head straight in to my studio and pretty much stay there until Jim comes home and insists that I at least eat something.
However, I've been so tired lately and pretty stressed (as has been unfortunately evident in my posts) and have been desperate for a little time off. So as a compromise, (because who's got time to take time off!) I decided to at least allow myself a lie in and actually stayed in bed until 9.30!
Whilst lieing there I was thinking about WIP Friday (mainly about the fact that I had finally remembered it on the right day!) and Self Portrait Tuesday and all the other meme's that gives us the opportunity to record little specific snap shots of our lives. And I decided that that was what I wanted to do today. I wanted to record specific points of my working day. If for no other reason than to share with Jim when he gets home (he likes that kind of thing, bless).
I don't think this will be very interesting for anyone else, but I found it interesting to see how much I achieved as each hour passsed. I usually get a little crazy when I have the opportunity to work all day. The possibilities or necessities often seem endless which means I often end the day with very little achieved, just feeling completely overwhelmed. But because I wanted to take a photo on each hour, I really focused on what I was doing instead of flitting from one task to the next. It was actually a little like a blogging microcosm. As with most bloggers, blogging itself has led to an increase in my crafting as well as an improvement in the quality, because I want to have something good to post about at least every few days. Well todays little project was just a miniature version of that. I wanted there to be an obvious progression in my photos so I focused much better than I usually do.
The only down side is that the photo's are all a little dull! Sorry about that. I was limited by the lack of decent light today and by the fact that the setting and the subject was pretty much the same for each photo. Also, now that I look at the photo's I realise that it really doesn't look like I've achieved much today! Blah, after all that build up, I fear I am about to show you an incredibly dull day! Hey ho, it was fun at the time.

9.30am
My day started with a cup of hot water and a lemon slice (can't handle coffee first thing).

10am.
Here I am. Showered and dressed in peace. Luxury.

11am.
This is how I left my room last night. So I spent the first half an hour tidying up and playing with buttons!

12pm.
I finally convinced mysef to put away the buttons and do some work! I had a commission from a friend for a Princess and the Pea set the other day and wouldn't you know, instead of making less work for myself and using one of my existing sets, I decided that I had to make a special one for her. This is me starting the tote for the set.

The green index card that you can see on the right is what I use to record all the details of everything I make. Each item has an individual green index card with every detail noted on as I go along. I've found this to be absolutely invaluable. I find note books too restrictive. (I got the idea from the Kinsey Milhone books. I'm a geek).

1pm.
Just the straps and the front pocket to sew on to the tote.

2pm.
The tote is finished, but I'm unhappy with the actual Princess. I decided to try a new way of doing the hair and features and I'm just not liking it, so I'm just going to have to unpick it and start again. Blah.

3pm.
Started work on a commissioned quilt. I had already cut the blocks and fused on the applique, so I just need to machine zigzag stitch the edges before hand embroidering some extra details. I've been having a lot of fun with this one. It's been commissioned by a very good friend so I want it to be special. She's buying it for someone with mighty high (read awkward) standards, so it's got to be good.

That's Germany V Argentina on the television. I LOVE the World Cup and was particularly looking forward to this match! So pleased that Germany won! And that's my cat Marshall asleep on the bed.

4pm.
Started cutting out a Princess and the Pea dress. I'll hand sew it later this evening.

5pm.
Yay, back to playing with buttons! These little piles will become something new that I'm working on. More on that soon. Although I will say that it's given me a new reason to buy more vintage buttons! Uh huh.

6pm.
And here I am back where I started, except that's a cup of coffee as  I've still got a lot of work to do tonight. Jim's working late so I shall just park myself in this little corner and do my hand sewing in front of Big Brother. My mother was kind enough to send us home last night with a bag of food that included some ready meals, so I don't even have to cook! Yay. ( I do however have to kill the moron that is outside beeping their car horn over and over again!!!!).
The only downer is that if I want some wine (distinct possibility) I'm going to have to walk to the shop. Hmmmm, I guess it's a case of whether my laziness will outweigh my need for a nice cold glass of Zinfandel. We shall see.

So that's it. My day. Fun.

Various Miscellany

I apologise in advance for the lack of cohesion of this post. I keep waiting until the weather is good enough to take some new photo's and until I have more than five minutes to piece my thoughts together and until I actually have something to show you. And I think that that way lies disaster! Or at the very least, a very quiet blog indeed. So in the interests of keeping this thing rolling, I present a jumble of images and thoughts.
First off, I recieved this wonderful birthday present last week from Lesley .

I was so very touched when Lesley asked me for my address and then even more so when the postman dropped a lovely parcel through my letter box a few days later and I opened it to find this beautifully embroidered picture.
I love it and must say that when a friend of mine saw it she sighed and said 'you have so many lovely things' and she was purely looking at the wonderful work of my fellow bloggers. And I realised as we discussed it that it's only been since we have been stone broke that I've become the proud owner of such lovely things. Back in the day when I was still a recognised member of society and earnt my own money, if I wanted something I popped out to a store and bought something immediate and generic. If I wanted to change the look of a room I would pretty much be able to do it in one day, with one shopping trip. Which is all very well, but so little of what I bought was original and none of it was actually made for me! And I know I keep banging on about this, but I LOVE that I'm looking at real art, made by real people. And I also love the fact that my friends are a little jealous!
So a massive thank you to Lesley! We've all said it, but it's so worth saying again - the kindness and generosity of the blogging community is just amazing.

I meant to post this picture on Friday as part of  Fiona's WIP Fridays. But just didn't get around to it, so I guess this is now WIP Monday.

A couple of piles of mattresses, a couple of disgracefully tardy fruit patches and some princesses. And in the background the start of a new topsy turvy doll - assuming that the fabric works. I'm a little worried that it may be too stiff to facilitate the topsy turvyness.

I've been meaning to show you this book for a while now. I just haven't been able to work out how to crowbar it in to a post until today.

Trapunto has always made me a little nervous. It seemed to me to be rather complicated and something that I should just avoid. For those of you that aren't familiar with it, trapunto is not a type of car (as Jim has just suggested!) but a form of (usually) whole cloth quilting that results in a raised surface. The pattern on the quilt top is often something like a vine with leaves and fruits that is stuffed with cord or batting.
It's a nice effect but not something that has really caught my eye until I bought this book. As I've said, trapunto is usually used for vines etc, but this (slightly crazy) book uses it much more interestingly. Just look at these crazy toaster and breadbin covers!

Mmmm, beige towelling!
But dodgy fabrics aside, this book really did simplify the method for me and gave me some cool ideas that I want to try out. I really like the look of the tote on the front cover. And I don't know if you can see it, but that apron has little trapunto mushrooms on!  Lovely.

And finally (I think), I've been wanting to wait until they were all finished and ready to go in the shop before I posted new Coney Rabbits, but the speed I'm working at the moment means that that may never happen! So here's a peek at some of the new rabbits, with still more to come.

There are blue and green rabbits still in various stages of evolution that I'm hoping to have done this week and then I'll be updating the shop. I've also got at least one quilt to add to the shop and maybe a couple of other little pieces. But that could just be me mistaking my life for someone elses!