Almost Over!

A few of my new jugs!

Well the school holidays are almost over....the summer will soon come to an end and we will be pulling out those winter woollies once again. How do you feel about that?

Some days I don't like the thought, but then I start thinking about all the days I will have to sew and I pick up a little. Coming from Australia I didn't think I would be able to abide the cold, but when it's reward is hours of quilting it ain't so bad!!!

This summer has been so enjoyable. We spent 3 weeks at my dad's place in Normandy. Apart from gardening and visiting various beauty spots (and eating loads of cakes, galettes and crepes!) I enjoyed going round a fair, an antique shop, a charity shop and a huge Brocante (second hand/junk shop!) I found so many treasures lurking in the dust and can't wait to create something 'up-cycled' with them. I also went mad and bought 7 jugs of various sizes!!!!! I think I've found another hobby!

Medieval town of Fougeres

Medieval town of Domfront. They just happened to have a Medieval Fair on while we were there!

A fantastic creperie in Bayeaux....I had crepe suzette for the first time......YUM!!!!

New things will be appearing on my website all the time as my thinking about what I will sell 'evolves'! I had a great deal of success at the St Giles Flower and craft Festival and am already looking forward to the Hylands School Christmas Fair at the end of November.

I hope you have had a lovely August and are looking forward to the rest of the year. All my best wishes to your children who are starting a new year and especially for those who are starting in high school.....I remember it being a very scary time!!!!!

Cya

Nic x

GREAT WEBSITE FOR PATCHWORK BLOCK DESIGNS!!!!!

Forgot to mention in my previous blog....if you have any spare time in the hols....HA!..... check out this website for some awesome patchwork block designs.....

www.quilterscache.com

Marcia Hohn runs it and I have been using it for years.....a site well worth saving....

Nic x

What a glorious day!

Well ladies it's come round again, the end of another term and the summer holidays. For some I know they are a headache, constantly handing out money for this, money for that and feeling tired most of the time, in body and mind!

I guess I used to feel the same sometimes, but now my 'kids' are 26 and 28 I look back and wish I could do it all over again.....yes....even the hard times!

I know a lady who is 24 and just had her first baby, such a cutie! Life in this first 6 weeks has been so tiring for her, but I like her attitude.... she says... 'cherish it all because we will never get this time back and who knows if we can have any more children.'

This year I have been a bit slack with my blog because my 26 year old daughter has had several health concerns. When each has arisen, so has the horrible C word (cancer) and it has made me continually keep coming back to how we have no idea what is around the next corner....

So have fun in the sun and enjoy those you get to spend time with.....it's worth it!

See you in September and I hope you all have some great memories of this summer holiday to cherish.

Nic x

Everything's coming up Rosettes!

I find that these lovely rosette flowers have been the perfect decorative finish to the pencil cases that have been my most recent creative project. 

However, I now realize that this isn't the first time I've used these little beauties

 

 

Embellishments of any kind are a really fun way to finish a craft item and allow a little more flair into your finished piece!

Hope you like......cya next time!

Nic x

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