Hats Off!!!!!

Hats off to all you creative crafty ladies who not only run homes, find time to be creative and also run a blog.....you are amazing!

I have been so busy that I haven't written for weeks.....sigh.....

I have been working very hard making items for the next Writtle Food and Craft Market on 29th June. I'm also working towards another Fete on the last August bank holiday weekend so there's lots to do.

Last Saturday myself and some ladies at our church spent the day from 10am-3pm making dresses for orphaned girls in Nepal...we had no pattern!!! The girls have one dress to their names and it is worn everyday. We made floaty, Sunday best dresses which were like this:

I'm not too keen on this colour arrangement, it was another ladies choice, but I offered to bring it home to put the velvet ribbon on the hem. We made some lovely ones in pinks and some in blues. I made my 3 tiers of frills very full, as having had a little girl myself I am sure that the little girl who receives it will 'twirl' in delight!

I'm really thankful for my sewing skills and was over the moon the other day when my 26 year old daughter finally asked 'mum, will you teach me how to sew!'

I learnt from a very early age through my school needlework classes. My mum didn't sew, but she was an excellent knitter. I wouldn't be without this skill now, especially when I have to alter so many clothes due to my short arms and legs!!!!!

There seems to be a great deal of interest in many crafts these days, so here's hoping all women will be able to learn something, even if it's only how to sew on a button......seems crazy doesn't it.... but I have a friend who didn't know how to do that until recently......

We haven't had one of these for a while.....

A Household Hint from days gone by:

Keep cotton reels tidy in the work basket by threading them onto a knitting needle and fixing a cork on the end.

As promised......

Finally a moment to spare to post some photos of my stand at the Writtle Food and Craft Market.

Looking back, now I'm not so exhausted, it was a good few hours spent in the company of many very talented ladies!!! Each stall was selling something different and I was amazed at how well the organiser had 'organised' everything. Here's hoping we can get permission to have one each month.

But for now I'm working towards this Thursday when I have a stand at my landlords special event to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. So many of us have lost a loved one to cancer, or know of someone who has survived cancer........it's a dreadful illness......My thanks goes out to those in organisations like Macmillan, who are there to offer whatever is needed to make the journey easier.

So it's back to the sewing machine.........thanks for stopping by..............

Nic x

Craft Fair slump.........yawn...............

Hi bloggers, I've had a week off to rest up and have found I went into a bit of a slump for the week (note to self .....DON'T WORK SO DAMN HARD BEFORE A SHOW!!!!!)The Writtle Food and Craft Market on 27th April was great fun! All the stallholders were so nice and I think we all did well. I have, however, learnt not to panic so much before hand, which makes me shattered the week following. I don't know how these women cope who do shows every weekend!!!!! We are hoping that the Writtle Food and Craft Market can become a monthly thing and that will suit me fine! So if any of you would like to see my items up close, keep checking the website for details under 'Events' on the homepage.

The aprons were a big hit and I could have sold far more than I took. So, you guessed it, that's what I'm making more of these days.

I have quite a few things to add to the website also, so here's hoping next week is a bit quieter and they will all start appearing. It's very hard when the sunshine beckons as I am also a gardener and grow my own vegies.

So far I have First early potatoes in, carrots, chard, spinach, spring onions, beetroot and radishes. With seeds sprouting in the greenhouse of beans, leeks, tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, zuccini and some herbs. So as you can see it's full steam ahead outside too!!!

Do any of you combine a love of gardening with a love of sewing? It's great really because when the weather is bad outside we can sew inside and when the weather's good outside we can garden....consequently |I'm never bored!!!

Cya next time,  hopefully with a few photos of the Craft Market and my latest items.

Nic x