Remember the sunshine?

Isn't this a pretty picture? I took this photo way back in June and duly uploaded it to my computer ready for a blog post and there it has sat completely forgotten until now.

So as I sit here in the attic listening to the rain pitter-pattering on the roof lets indulge in some early summer sunshine and cupcakes.

If my memory serves me right I was going to try and make a new blog header photo for MarmaladeRose and since I'd been very busy making fabric cupcakes, I thought they would be perfect for the photo shoot. (Get me, 'photo shoot')

So out into the sunshine I popped, setting up my usual little outdoor corner with my favourite garden chair. (Yes it is as comfortable as it looks, excellent for a little snooze in the sunshine.)

Much snapping of photos and rearranging of cakes and plates took place.

There was plumping of cushions and grumbling at clouds blocking the precious sunshine.

 I bet the neighbours thought I was completely loopy clicking away at a plate of cakes and an armchair, lol!

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This is the finished photo. I thought this one had it all: The cupcakes, the view and space for the word 'MarmaladeRose' across the top of the picture.

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But do you know what?

I'm not sure I want to change my blog banner after all.

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I think I'll stick with the one I've got.
It rather suits me, don't you think?

I did think this one might make a good picture for a birthday card though!

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Hope the sun is shining where you are.

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Fi x

Birthday Cake and Lavender Bags.

Hello all you lovely people. I've been cupcaking again!

I've been doing it on the move this time. I took my supplies with me on a visit to my Mum and Dads so I could make the most of the half term week. Luckily my Parents don't mind me snipping, stuffing and stitching when I visit. I even crochet in the car on the journey there and back. (Wonderful Man does all the driving.) My 'accidental blanket' is nearly finished.

Well you can't waste all those precious 20 minutes, can you!

Can you spot the real cake? Hmmm it was a yummy Black Forest Gateau made by Grandma for #2 childs 15th birthday. What better way to celebrate.

Not only have I been stitching cakes, I've been making lavender bags too.

How can making something as small as a lavender bag,

cause sooooo much mess

and disruption?

Who knows! Just one of life's little mysteries!

My finished design.
I wanted to use my signature vintage embroidery on them,

but added a modern twist with some machine embroidery.

I'm hoping they have a country look to them without being too twee.

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What do you think?

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And just because I thought it might make you smile...

I took a photo of this Peter Rabbit bus in Kendal last week for you. Every available inch was covered in lovely Beatrix Potter drawings. I wonder if the driver likes it?

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Fi x

Cupcakeyness.

Hellooo.

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I've been stitch, stitch, stitching.

. Cutting, stuffing and trimming.
.Quite a bit.
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All calorie free, but still scrummy.

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Ok... Who took one?...

Mothers Union.

Hello and thank you for all your lovely comments left on my last post. I'm so glad you enjoy seeing my corner of the world so much, because I enjoy sharing it with you. I feel soooo lucky to live here in this special place that I often stand in my back garden looking down the valley and I want to throw my arms around all of it and give it a huge HUG!

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Now to share something else...I've been wanting a Union Jack cushion for a long time now and I was determined to make it myself.

I rummaged through my fabric stash for something suitable, didn't have enough matching ribbon but I think it turned out ok anyway.


Do you recognise the blue check fabric?


Well put it this way, many of you mums won't have to wash any of this fabric for another 6 weeks!

I think next time we need to catch up with some cupcakeyness! Don't you?

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Buttonhole, Buns and Barbie.

Hello my lovelies.

Gosh I feel like I've been away from the blogging world for ages. I know that I 'blog without obligation' but I still feel I should apologise for being away for so long. I just seem to have been so busy at work and at home. Consequently I have a camera full of random photos that I some how have to put into order. (sorry life's too short, I've just noticed there are 115 photo in my camera, you'll just have to have them as they come!)

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Deep breath, where shall I start?

Well I've had quite a lot of these beauties to launder of late.

Aren't they gorgeous tablecloths? I think they would make the most beautiful and unique boudoir curtains if cut up the middle. Yes I can hear you shrieking from here! Honestly it's better to give them a new life as curtains where they'll be seen and admired every day, rather than them being folded up in a drawer for months on end never seeing the light of day.

As you can see from the contents of this basket, I've been cupcaking and still need to make many more.


I've made a little seat pad to fit a child's rocking chair.


We've also been out and about as you can't possibly waste this fantastic weather that we've been having lately. For many years I worked weekends so now Wonderful Man and I like to spend our Saturdays and Sundays out and about together as much as possible. Especially since our 'escape to the country'.


But more about that another time, I think I'll try and keep this post to homey, domestic, sewy things or I shall get terribly confused and flummoxed. I don't know about you but I find it really hard to get back into blogging if I leave it too long between posts. I suppose as with most things little and often is best. (Gosh! I sound like someones granny!)

Here is Barbie awaiting her make-over into glamorous trapeze artist (it's a long story, trust me you don't need to hear it.)

TADAA! One glamorous trapeze artist created! (Please note here, that if you ever have to make Barbie a tight waist cinching costume... her bum is waaay big compared to her waist, which makes it nigh on impossible to pull said tight waist cinching costume up over said big bum. Be warned!)

Ah. Here we have some prototype pin cushions bobbing about in my basket. These were inspired by Karen at Contemporary Embroidery. I've been dying to have a go at this peek-a-boo button hole stitch thingy for a while now. I love button hole stitch, I made teeny tiny buttonhole flowers on these miniture teddies, yonks ago. Mine are made from vintage linen though, not quite as luxurious as Karens work which is in silk. They also have a fabric covered hard base so that they stand up properly. I'll take some more photos another time when they have evolved a bit more.

I love this picture. It's part of my stash of old embroidered linens. Hmmmm! All that pretty, lineny scrummyness! But what are you going to do with them all I hear you cry!

Well I've been doing a little bit of this with them.

Chopping them up so I can put them back together again.

Every scrap of embroidery used. (I even keep all the off cuts just incase I think of something to do with them one day.)

See! It's not always bad to cut up beautiful old tablecloths! Hopefully this one will now grace someones bed or sofa and be gazed upon every day. (I say 'hopefully' as this cushion is now for sale in the most lovely little gift shop just opened in our village. As soon as there is a web site I'll pop you a link up.)

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Ah well, thats 16 photos down, 99 to go!

(Only joking! Ha ha!)

I won't leave it as long next time. Promise X

My Sunday

This is Richmond in North Yorkshire.  We were here to visit about 20 open gardens and what a glorious afternoon we had. The weather couldn't have been better, hot and sunny all day. We love open gardens and visit as many as we possibly can.

I love the colour this summer house is painted. Such a gentle restful green. I must say out of the 20 gardens we saw I think this one was the best, consequently I didn't take any photos in the other gardens.
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A bit of crafting to show you...
Not much, a few cupcakes and
five hand embroidered linen rabbits.Our route home took us over the tops of the fells. We had to stop the car to let some other traffic pass as the road if you can call it that, it's only a single track. I find this route a bit hairy at the best of times, it's the spectacular views that seduce me.

Look we're on top of the world! (that's how it feels anyway) This is where we got stuck in snow earlier on this year. Very frightening, there is no mobile phone reception here and I thought we were going to have to wait until our teenagers missed us (probably teatime) and call out the Mountain Rescue! How embarrassing would that have been! Luckily for us another motorist came along behind us and helped us push the car backwards in the snow and ice until we could both turn around and head back the way we came. Can you imagine this scene covered in 10 inches of snow?



Sunday traffic! It's hellish here!!!! Teehee!

Oops! Spoke too soon! Slow moving traffic!

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What a lovely day.

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I'll leave you with a sneaky peek of something scrummy I was given to play with this afternoon. I'll fill you in next time : )
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I'm off to try and catch up with all your weekends now. love Fi x