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, over in Beverley, East Yorkshire. 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 climbed the bank at the side of our house and 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 bank, home.

That top window is my attic studio, and that's our shed with the roofing felt blown off! Yep, it gets a mighty windy up here!

The perfect end to an ordinary day.

Felt Making Day

Today I was up early, 7.30ish, which is unheard of on a Sunday in our house hold! I decided today was to be a TOTAL craft day, nothing else was to interfere with my crafting today, as I have to get a move on and replenish my stocks for the Fatsheep. ............So after feeding manky cat and sneaky dog, emptying the washing machine and tumble drier, feeding manky cat more, refilling the washing machine and hanging out washing to dry, folding the stuff from the tumble drier, feeding manky cat again, making wonderful man a cup of tea in bed, hanging out second load of washing, refilling washing machine again, getting a joint of meat ready for the oven...I eventually started my TOTAL uninterfered with, day of crafting!!! The photos are courtesy of child number 2 as I was rather wet and soapy for most of the time. I actually only managed two pieces of felt today, but they were quite large, as I hope to make them both into bags to sell at the afore mentioned Fatsheep shop. This is the first piece, being rubbed with hot water and soap.

Then there was a bit of rolling, back and forth.

Then there was my favourite part, a bit of throwing down against the worktop rather violently! I don't know why this works, but it gives a rather pleasing texture to the felt. It also splatters soap suds up your walls and over the floor, but hey ho! You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs, as my wonderful man says, usually when he's making a mess!

Here is my second piece of felt laid out ready for the soapy water and a beating! Not sure about this piece, I tried working out of my comfort zone, as they say. I usually prefer more realistic garden colours like my first piece.

Sneaky dog decided she was best off keeping well out of the way. She has an aversion to soap and water, of which there was far too much flying about, so she took to her bed for most of the day.

Anyway here are both finished pieces of felt, when I say finished I mean they are now ready for me to embellish (I love that word!), embellish with ribbon, embroidery, lace, buttons, and anything else that takes my fancy. You'll notice the pink felt is darker than the 'before' photo, that's because I added a piece of vintage netty black lace over the surface before I began felting it.

I'll post pics of the felt made into bags, as and when it happens. For now here are photos of other projects on the go at the mo. Here are some more of my tiny embroidered teddies, just awaiting faces!

And you remember my tidy attic studio? Well now we are all good friends, I feel it's OK for you to see it how it really is when I have a project on the go. This is a bag I'm making for a friends seven year old granddaughter.

Got to go now, I need to make a birthday card for a lovely friend and there is ironing to be done ready for school tomorrow! Till next time, Fi x

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.

And here are some of the larger items (including a couple of pairs of bloomers and an old shift) on the washing line, I wonder what the neighbours thought?