Thursday 26 June 2008

Six Unimportant things about me....


Saw this on Louise's blog and thought I would give it a go.

1. I am left handed but I cannot use left handed scissors.

2. I can read practically anything but my Maths is dreadful.

3. I have recently discovered that if I get a cold it will turn into bronchitus over night and triggers asthma.

4. I met my husband through a friend at college on a random chance evening out.

5. I used to do Archery and take part in competitions around East Anglia.

6. During my final year at University I developed an allergy to calico and had the roughest hands ever until a couple of months after I left. (Studied on a Fashion Degree so this was a bit of a short term problem).

Apart from number 4 most of the other points never crop up in conversation as they happened in the past but it did make me think.
Have a go at this and see what you come up with.

I am entering another Creative Challenge in America which I will post about at the weekend. I have started it and must get a move on as the deadline is fast approaching. The link is in the sidebar as I have forgetton it. My brain has very nearly packed up but the papers are nearly done but been too tired to concentrate on them tonight. (Tut Tut!)

Hope the weather has been good where you are, it has been glorious here in Cornwall.
Take care.
XX

Tuesday 24 June 2008

WIP finished!

Despite all the marking etc I do still make myself go to my sewing sessions otherwise you can have no me time. So I have managed to complete a WIP that I cut out months ago.
You may remember this from a much earlier post...
Bag section.
Pincushion section.
I saw a version of this in a magazine ages ago and changed it to make it more versatile. It flaps over the arm of a chair and stays in place because the pin cushion at the top has toy stuffing but is wieghted down with beanie filling which are tiny plastic pellets. I have photographed it handing down the front of the arm so that the picture shows the whole thing because it would not cooperate!
You can postioned it wherever you want. Now it was intended for stitchers to put their cut off bits of thread in as a type if bin. I found it more useful to put things in when I am sat in front of the TV, but there is a limit to how much you can put in otherwise it will slip off and fall on the floor. (Oh dear!). The bag section I put interfacing in and then quilted it. I like this fabric as it reminded me of Batik.

The latest version is below..

I love this fabric!! It reminds me of Cath Kidston. I first used it in my 100th post giveaway before Christmas. I have put some of my knitting needles in it this time so that you can see it being used. I usually have the strap on the top of the chair arm.
I made the pincushion bigger on this version and a bit chunkier too.
I have just cut out a needle and scissor case to match.
I am trying to decide whether to put this in my Etsy/website or not. The Batik one will be listed and I am sure that I have some left over fabric for a needle case too but I shall check.
That is really all I have managed to do lately but only another few days of marking to go.
Marking satus= 254 marked....... 169 to go!!!
This week at school we have had a Chinese Week and I shall post some pictures of the things we have been making. So, I was given a fortune cookie and guess what it said...'All your hard work will soon pay off'. Spooky or what? (And ever so slightly not funny with 169 papers to still go!)
Take care and thanks for popping by over the past couple of weeks despite the lack of posting it is notced.
XXXXX

Tuesday 17 June 2008

Birthday bag, Chocolate joy, First Website sale!!!

It was my friend's 40th birthday on sunday and we all popped over with presents and champagne. It was only about 4pm but who cares. I decided months back to make her a bag using a great tutorial by jcaroline creative, and here it is...

I made it out of medium weight soft furnishing fabric and used medium interfacing to give it a bit of strength and I used plastic canvas in the base to give it shape. This was stitched to the lining. I added a fabric flower with a cover button in the centre. I used a magnetic fastening from U-Handbag. I have only been using these recently and I really love them!

I particularly like the handle detail and I am going to make more of this feature when I make the next one which will go either in my Etsy shop or my website.

Guess what? This matches one of the Laura Ashley scarves that her husband bought for her, how lucky is that!! The best buy for this bag was the rings which were a perfect colour match, very strong and they arrrrreeee....metal curtain rings! I kid you not, and I have two more for the next bag! They are ace and perfect for the job.

I did make some Chocolate Malteser Bake as well and found a pretty little box to put it in and stuffed it as much as I could.

Late last night I decided to have a quick look at my emails and noticed a payment into my paypal account and it turned out to be my very first offical sale on my website!! Yipppeeee!! I have also had a big increase in the number of hits too. I must get my rear in gear and list the numerous bags that I have on the website. It is just that time is so tight at the moment due to work, but I have taken all of the photos, and down loaded most of them too. I have added a few things to Etsy. One frustrating evening I had sat and typed it all up for a keyring on Etsy and then discovered that I could not track down the photo! I decided to go to bed at this point!

I would like to say a big thank you to those of you who have visited and commented over the last few months, it is exciting to click on them and read them.

My exam satus= 100 papers marked......325 to go!!!!!
Take care to all.
XX

Sunday 15 June 2008

Look what came in the post...

Recently I have been reading about the marvellous things that arrive through people's doors and I have enjoyed looking at the posts. Well look what arrived yesterday..


All the way from America, Texas to be exact. A Joyful soul Fabrics is run by Joy and I found her on Ebay, she specializes in Amy Butler fabrics and patterns. This is one of the brand new patterns to come out and I can not wait to have a go at it. (But only after the exam marking unfortunately). I think I have the right fabric upstairs that will a ideal for a first run.

This also arrived in the post on Friday..
I also found these lovely fabrics on Ebay (had a great time one evening last week I can tell you!)
This photo does not do the fabric colours justice, but it is reeeeally nice....
I have an order for a book cover and one of the above will be used. Knowing the recipient I think it will be the brightly coloured funky flowers above! Later today Sophie and I are going to make some more Malteser Bake, yum yum, but for now I had better get some beauty sleep.
Bakc later to show you some bag pics.
Take care
XX

Saturday 14 June 2008

What personlity are you?

I have just found this on Nannybird and gave it a go. My results are in the side bar as I could not get it to cut and paste in the post itself, doh!

I agree with most of it but the bottom sentence seems a bit harsh! Due to being a Textiles Teacher some people do think that I am boring and in a rut but we in craft blogland think differently and they usually change their minds when they see what I can do. But hay ho that is life I suppose. I am still marking but last night I was very tired and accidently fell asleep and woke up this morning. Sophie has woken up with a bad cold so I may have to be a bad parent and ask for the TV babysitter to help so that I can catch up on what I should have done last night.

I have just managed to fit in a bag for my friends 40th which I finished at my sewing group on Wednesday and I will post that later or tomorrow, I hope she likes it. I hope to make her some of the Chocolate Malteser bake as well.

Well, better get on I suppose!
XX

Monday 9 June 2008

Hi.. I have not been abducted by Aliens!!


sunflow.sourceforge.net

Hi Everyone,
I am still here but I have been snowed under with coursework marking, exams and now 425 exam papers have arrived!!

I started my tutorial as a draft and it is now a week old so I may need to start it again unless I can change the date.
Many many thanks for the many comments about Sophie's Quilt and my attempt at cooking. I I have many things in the pipeline to show you, I just need the time to post them so please do pop back as my rest periods from work will be blogging time.

How about the lovely weather then? I shall work outside if I can.
Take care
XX

Monday 2 June 2008

Malteser Chocolate Bliss

Many thanks to April at Cake makes the world a better place for helping me some of the details with the recipe.
Made the following on Friday.... well two of them to be honest...

..and took it to my brother-in-law's birthday party that afternoon/evening.

I carefully cut it up, I sampled it t make sure that it was ok (well what else could I do?).
...and everyone really liked it!! It was so easy to do it was almost daft and iIcan see how it could be developed to add other things such as raisins as well as maltesers and dijestive biscuits!!
Give it a go, if I can make it, anyone can..
Tutorial finished and will be posted when I sort the photos out.
Best wishes,
XX
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