Happy Accident

No you're not seeing things, this IS my second post in one day! Make the most of it, cos it won't happen very often. I just had to share this happy accident with you.

I don't know about you girls, but me being a thrifty Yorkshire woman, I just hate waste of any kind. Before anything goes in the bin or for recycling it's scrutinised to the eighth degree, to see what it can be used for or made into!

So being busy machine embroidering a piece of felt, I usually use white embroidery bobbin thread in the lower bobbin, as you get twice as much on the reel as ordinary thread. Being thrifty, when the reel needs refilling, I like to use up any odds and ends of coloured thread left on bobbins from other sewing projects. This is where the happy accident comes in. This is the wrong side of my work! It would normally be completely white.

It's shame it won't be seen when the bags finished.

Looks like there's been another accident here..... the mess I make when I'm working!!!!!!!!!!

Finished Bag

I was asked to make a bag for a 7 year old little girl, who just loves handbags! Lets hope she loves this one! I certainly enjoyed making it and can't wait to start on some more 'grown up' versions.

some old embroidery

some lace and a recycled butterfly

a fairy

the front

the back

Happy Birthday Mum x

Happy birthday Mum, I hope you have a lovely day. I'm sorry I can't be with you. Have a good evening. Love Fiona x

Happy Birthday

Firstly, birthday wishes to my lovely friend Jayne. I hope you've had a lovely day.

I've had a good day today. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual, children off to school, wonderful man off to his computer, me off to work. Then the best part of the day, wonderful man and me taking sneaky dog for a walk!

We went over the fields and far away! (well, about six fields!)

And we met this little lamb

And these little lambs

And these little lambs with their mummy

And this very curious little lamb

And a friendly horse

Oh Yes! We met ewe too!

Then it back over the fields again

And down the hill, home.

The perfect end to an ordinary day.

Sold! At the Fatsheep Shop!

I just thought I'd share my good news with you all. Yesterday I got a phone call from David who owns the Fatsheep shop in Reeth, over in Swaledale. I'll just explain for those of you farther flung than Yorkshire. Far from selling fat sheep, the Fatsheep shop is a lovely little gift shop, that only sells items handmade in the Yorkshire Dales.

Well David phoned me yesterday to say that he had sold some of the items I had made and to ask me if I would like to make some more! YIPEE! I was so excited I was dancing around the kitchen!

Just to explain, these are the first craft items I've sold in a shop! Wonderful man and I only dropped them off last month. It was quite scary taking them down there. Would they be good enough? Would they be too kitsch and twee? Would David and Judy just laugh in my face, and say 'you must be joking?' NO! Not at all!

I've sold the embroidered felted bag. A lady even asked if they had another as she wanted one for a gift!(Unfortunately I only made one.)

(sorry, fuzzy photo!)

And this crochet bunny.

Some of these embroidered hearts

And all but one of my tiny embroidered teddies! (hiding in the basket)
I was soooo excited. I was the best phone call I've had for a long time. And it's not the money, although that's fantastic too. Its the fact that other people actually like what I make!

So full of new creative enthusiasm today, I made myself a new handbag!

NO, I'm not that skinny! It's modelled by child #2

Its made from a felted woollen fabric, appliqued and embroidered and has brown shot satin lining and brown leather handles, which were as fiddly as hell to make! It's not my usual colour choice, but I needed something casual to fling over my shoulder when I'm wearing jeans and what seems to be my usual brown top at the moment.

Well I hope your weekend was as good as mine. Till next time. Fi x

Ooodles of lace

I thought you might like see my latest acquisition. My wonderful man visited a local auction at the weekend and kindly purchased for me, a box full of old lace and linen. The photo's below are just a small selection.

My Attic Studio

Well that's a very grand title for what is actually the guest room! I took the pictures just after my guests had departed, before I had chance to make a mess. I'm sure future photos won't look anywhere near as tidy, and since you're all still getting to know me, I thought it should be neat for your first visit!

My wonderful man thinks we should have this room as our bedroom, but I think it would be a waste just to sleep in it! Beside the fact that there is nowhere for wardrobes, because of the sloping ceilings.

There are quite a lot of doors up here. The little ones on either side of the stairs are to the eves storage space (I have one side, full of storage boxes containing fabric etc, wonderful man has the other, full of...man stuff, both chockablock!) Next to the bed is a little cupboard shelved out for my card crafting stuff, and it has a hanging rail for guests. (well I had to make some concessions.) The door next to that houses the water tank, (boring) and then the door next to the radiator by the veluxe window is to a shower room.

So ladies, shall we climb the stairs and take a look!

I hang my collection of embroidered tablecloths and linens over the banister as they're too pretty to be left in a drawer, I like to see them all the time.

We're now at the top of the stairs, looking towards my sewing table. The baskets beneath are full wool. 

The pine sideboard lived in our dining room at the last house, you should have seen the removal men's faces when I asked them to pop it up two flights of stairs to the attic! The little door is 'wonderful mans' storage space, with a pretty sheet of gift wrap, showing fairies around a fish pond, stuck on it from my mum.

That's my door to the eves storage, I told wonderful man that I needed that side as there is more room for me to be dragging boxes of fabric out at the top of the stairs. The real reason is, my bottoms too big to be squeezing past the banister rail at his side!!!

The book shelf is stuffed with my craft and sewing books, every time I slot a new one in, I expect the side of the book shelf to ping off! The bottom shelf houses my 'Country Living' and 'Beautiful Homes' magazines. The black tripoddy thingy is 'wonderful mans' telescope. I've squished it as far into a corner as I can, cos its really too ugly to be in my studio. (hmm! I may have to make a flowery cover to go over it!) The ironing board also lives around this corner and I just have room to put it up next to the bed! This doesn't happen very often as I avoid ironing at all costs!

Then we're back to the top of the stairs. This is the view from the window, rather a rainy one! I tend to weather watch from here as it faces west and I can see the dark rain clouds aproaching from Cumbria and the Lakes.
And lastly a close up of the sewing table, I'm afraid this is never clear, whether we have guests staying or not!
So there you have it. My little world. I hope you enjoyed your visit and feel you know me a little better.
This blogging malarkey has made me realise that the more you give on your blog, the more fulfilling and rewarding it is. And for someone who is quite private, its not always easy. I'd like to say thanks for all the lovely comments I've had so far, and I'm still getting to grips with blogging etiquette, so if I'm not doing something I should please let me know.
Till next time...Fi x