Life here has been pretty frantic and stressful but now the strees is going and we are just left with frantic!! I am so busy with my ebay shop, sales of my cushion covers have been wonderful, and am also trying to keep stock back for a couple of Xmas fairs that I am doing. Blogging has very much taken a back seat.....sorry :(

sarah and I had fun making some leaf images in the back garden (not sure how the colours will show up for you at present as I am on a new laptop and have to sort the colour settings yet)

I made this LOVE cushion the other day and used four of the Pop Flowers colourways from Cath Kidston. I just don't get why this was discontinued it is the most popular Kidston fabric I use.

and for a bit of a Tadaaa! look at this vintage Magic Roundabout fabric I got, a perfect match for the blue spot, so I made up a pait of small cushions which are now in my ebay shop.

Must get around to sorting my Etsy shop which is looking very sad, and restocking Folksy too!

So much to do and so little time!

xxxxx

Still here....still sewing!

Such a long time since I have blogged, but life has been all over the place here and it has had to take a back seat. I still have my youngest at home but we are hopeful that all will soon be well again, her energy is definitely returning and so therefore is mine.

Sewing has been constant the cushions I showed you in my last post are proving really popular as are the ones made from Orla Kiely fabric.

Last Saturday Laura and I went to the Knitting & Stitching show at Ally Pally quite a trek by train, but sooo worth it. I was so pleased to find this fabric which I have used before with a black background. We had a go at extreme knitting on 2 foot long needles using yarn that is the offcuts from the woollen mills up north, in fact we loved it so much we bought some.

I have been brightening the grey days with some purses this one uses a Michael Miller fabric which I may need to get some more of. So far the rotten Royal Mail strikes haven't put off customers, but I have a couple of Xmas Fayres to look forward to.

Had you noticed I hadn't mentioned the builders?.......they should be doing my house by now........I am staying calm but Xmas may not be very stylish or comfortable this year...I'm staying calm..I'm staying calm.

Something simple

Life has been really busy latelyand I have been making up plenty of stock for xmas as I am not sure if I will be able to do much sewing in October and November as we are having work done on the house (fingers crossed). Today I needed something simple and effective to do and so I used some bolder prints to make up some simple cushions and backed them with some bright colours on the back.

I then set up a little photography corner in an effort to improve my photos and I am pretty pleased with the results.

I tried so many colours on the back of this green one but went for the white in the end as its crispness just lets the green sing!

All of the above are listed in my ebay shop which is busy as usual despite the postal strikes.

I have also come by some lovely Orla Kiely cotton which I am going to be using for more cushions tomorrow, however if you would like some I have listed a piece on ebay too.

New ideas

Working on combining my applique with some patchwork today. Some of the free machining is a little too free for my liking but overall I'm liking it and the top stitching really works. I tried hard to keep the applique in the squares, only to find that I actually quite like it when it gets lost in the seams

My mojo ain't workin'

Maybe it's the return to normal routine after the holidays but I am having a real job to get back into it and get my creativity going. Also the fact that the house will be turned into a building site in a few weeks time means I really have to get my act together and fast. I have shops to stock and craft fairs to do!!! move Louise, MOVE!!! So I threaded up the machine and just sewed something, no plan just went with it and did this....it really lacks colour and looking at it now I shall put it back on the machine and work at it some more, but I shall do more of this for my cushions and purses and will keep you updated.
In the meantime just a few thrifty finds to share, see my little owl monebox? I am reliably informed it is from the 60s, I love the colour combination and found a few things to put with it.

A close up shows the leaf pattern on the top edge, now this is inspiring me!

And finally I had to show you this wonderful find which cost all of 99p, this glassware jug has been in use all summer and has a red plastic pop in lid that holds back the ice. I really thought this might not get family approval due to the very grannyish look but everyone loves it!

OK enough stalling I am moving, I am sewing, and this evening I think I need to do some time management planning otherwise nothing will get done.

Skip to week 6!

Oh dear what happened to the last five weeks? No blogging I'm afraid, having recovered from my poorly state (thankyou for all your good wishes, so lovely of you all!) we have been making up for lost time and have so far fitted intwo holidays one to the Hampshire coast and then a week ago to Cornwall, more specifically Marazion. Most of the photos are evening ones as the camera I have at the moment is quite bulky, so there are no photos of St Ives and the Porthmeaor beach cafe or of Mousehole, sorry!

Luckily for us we had fantastic weather and as well as the body boarding and beach fun, managed to visit lots of galleries. The one above is on the Trellowarren estate, my mother being a Vivian this was a place I had longed to visit and it really left me speechless (quite a feat!)

It also has a beautiful little plant nursery run by the loveliest of ladies and a rather large echinacea plant found its way home with us, it's stunning flowerhead swaying in front of me all the way back home!

A shot inside one of the galleries at Trellowarren, it has two!

Set in beautiful gardens the house is very grand, not open to the public as it is a private residence.

Gig rowers out on Mounts Bay in the late evening.

Sarah rediscovered her pocket kite on evening walks across to St Michaels Mount.

We stayed in the most stunning holiday home, a converted coach house. So much space and light, we are stealing some ideas for the new kitchen at home.

Such a shame we only had a week there it was really tough coming home, but we have to be back for Lauras french exam result today (eeek!) and we are off again to morrow for a quick visit back to Hampshire for the bank Holiday weekend.

I will post more photos soon of some great vintage finds, and yes I have been sewing, it's been a struggle to keep the shops stocked though, but I have some new fabrics and will be using and listing those next week hopefully.

Summer Holidays Week 1

The holidays have not had a great start for me as I have not been well, some kind of virus that has put paid to the usual trips out, but I have managed to do a spot of sewing and keep up with orders for cushions and doorstops.

We have been out on shopping trips and are planning a London trip for next week, some fabric shopping for sure!!

Laura is dancing again in this years Pepper Show and luckily this year it has been in the holidays so she gets a good lie in in the mornings. We are going to see it tomorrow, it is a fantastic show lots of dancing in the isles and singing along, we are so lucky to have something like this in our community if you are local you must make a date for next year, you will not be disappointed.