New Fabric and Hearts.

Well, my house guest went home today. We've had a lovely week. Lots of chatting, some shopping, a visit to Farfield Mill at Sedbergh, Lakeland at Windermere, and my favourite Embsay Craft Mill near Skipton. Oh yes, shelves and shelves of fabric, sewing notions, yarn, embroideries, paper crafts and the cherry on the cake... it's own little cafe! What more could a girl ask for?

I made a couple of purchases. Well I couldn't come away empty handed and disappoint you all, could I?

This is my favourite. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet. A little applique maybe?

This one comes a close second.

Just had to have this fat quarter.

And some embroidery threads.

Yep, there's definitely some applique and hand embroidery on the cards.

After all that newness, I would like to share one of my recycling tips with you.

Keep your eye out for cheap bags when your in the charity shops. This one cost me a £1.75 and after I'd butchered it with a pair of sharp scissors;

I've gained a zip, a magnetic fastener and two little clippy things with matching D rings! What a bargain!

Shopping is all well and good, but I got down to some crafting this afternoon. We've been thinking about Valentines Day at work, and need something eye catching to advertise our Valentines Day disco.

A piece of underlay fibre board, cut into a heart shape. It was very easy to cut and it's also very light.

Covered both sides with fabric.

Hopefully this will hang in the window and we can pin our adverts on both sides.

I've also stitched together a strand of pink hearts to hang from the ceiling, we'll needs lots of these. I'm not sure I had my machine on the right setting for these, as it didn't seem to like sewing them. Any suggestions?

That's about it for today girls. Oh, the dusty old Singer Sewing Machine. It lives on one of the landing windowsills at work. Quite forlorn and forgotten. As you can see it's in need of some TLC. Well quite a lot of TLC actually as it doesn't work. I'll keep you posted...

Bunting!

Good morning girls. Gosh I'm sooo sleepy today, even though I was in bed early! It's just not fair! Maybe it's something to do with not getting enough fresh air? We had snow yesterday, not a lot but enough to stop the school bus getting through. Needless to say I didn't venture out of doors at all. The children got an extra days holiday, as it should have been their first day back at school, so they were more than happy.

Now on to more important things. Would you like to see what I won in Mel's giveaway over at Country in the Town ?

Yes?

I thought you might.

Isn't it exciting getting parcels through the post. I had to sign for this one. The postie gave me one those knowing smiles when I answered the door. He could tell I'd just jumped out of bed and pulled some clothes on, I think my nightie sticking out of the bottom of my cardie gave the game away.

I cut the packet open and took one little peek. This one looked too good to rush, so I took it back up to the bedroom and got back into bed so that I could enjoy opening it slowly.

Look at that! Almost too beautiful to open! A parcel of pink gingham fabric (how thoughtful to send a parcel wrapped in fabric to a crafter!) tied with pale blue Cath Kidston ribbon. Oh the joy and I'd not even opened it yet! There was also an envelope with a little card, which showered confetti everywhere when I opened it, and a little extra surprise - teatime patterned bun cases. I LOVE pretty bun cases. I can only get plain white ones when I do my monthly online shop, and I can tell you, it doesn't make me a happy bunny.

Aaaaaaah! Bunting, bunting, bunting. One of life's essentials me thinks, don't you? Such beautiful fabrics, just what I would have chosen. I've got to tell you here: I have wanted some bunting for months now, but just couldn't bring myself to buy any when I knew full well that I was more than capable of making it. But as you all know, it just got added to the long list of things I wanted to make.

This one is my favourite, pretty florals appliqued onto a white background. So much work!

I have a guest staying this week. My oldest, bestest friend from school. Yes that is very old isn't it! So how better to mark the occasion than with scrummy apple cakes in my new bun cases!

Thank you Mel for making my day sparkle.

I think I'd like to have a go at making someone elses day sparkle too. Keep your eye out for a future give away!

Love Fi x

Inner Creativity.

Hello, thanks for popping by again. I've had a lovely couple of days thanks to you lot out there, you really are very good to me.

Firstly you've left me some very sweet comments about my patchwork quilt. It really is a lovely boost to a girls creative confidence.

Secondly, I've finally won a give away, so I'm expecting a little parcel in the post and I'm so excited. I shall reveal more on its arrival.

Thirdly and with apologies for my tardiness, I received an award just before Christmas from Mrs J over at Mrs J's Creations.

Thank you very much Mrs J. I'm looking forward to starting up our 'Friends Challenge' again. Now I'm sure this award comes with some sort of rules, but... I blog without obligation here, yes I know I'm very naughty (but this is the only place I am naughty, honest) and I don't do rules. Life's too short! Hope no one minds.

Lastly, on new years day I added a hit counter to my side bar. What a revelation! I didn't realise so many of you popped by! I really must start making more of an effort, a little tidying, plumping some cushions, making room on the coat rack, maybe bake some bickies... come on in, you're all more than welcome : )

Changing the subject; I've been having urges. No, not chocolate, NO not that either!
As I mentioned in my last post, I've had the urge to do some hand embroidery and some applique. But what should I do?, what can I make?, what do I fancy doing? I did what we all do and did a lot of clicking about looking for inspiration. Now the interwebthingy is not short on inspiration, but I do worry that my creative imagination seems very impressionable and all the fantastic ideas I find on my computer fill my head and push out any original creative ideas of my own. In short I'm scared to death of inadvertently copying someone else's ideas! Do you know what I mean?

So in desperation and hope I turned off the computer and reached for my sketch book and pencil. Sitting in the lounge with the family watching telly the stark white page glared at me, daring me to make a mark.

I doodled some flowers, nope that wasn't it.

I doodled some more flowers, that still wasn't it.

I filled the entire page with flowers, (hell! I'm slow on the uptake sometimes) NO that still wasn't going to be it.

Then I looked across at my beautiful 13 year old daughter... and that was it.

We may feed on external inspiration,

but creativity comes from within.

From the things you love.

P.S. Just realised, the close up looks like she has 'Spock' ears, teehee! It's meant to be long strands of hair dangling down the side of her face. Lol!

Back to the drawing board! She'll kill me if she reads this!

Patchwork Finished, 2008 Finished.

New Years Eve. The last day of 2008. My Dads birthday.

Happy Birthday Dad, I love you. x

We're all cosied up here, on this exceptionally icy new years eve. Today we woke to a beautiful hoar frost. No pics though as it has been too foggy all day, I'll try tomorrow if it still looks as pretty.

Well I've finally finished child #2 patchwork quilt and I am rather chuffed with it, as you can see!

It took me three evenings to hand stitch the binding down, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. My little finger tips were sore when I'd finished but I do love stitching by hand.

I've got to be honest here, I didn't embroider these. These embroidered squares were cut from an old tablecloth bought from a car boot sale. I did embroider the little 'with love' message and my name and date on the reverse though. (hopefully one day it might be a family heirloom)

It's set me off. I want to do some applique and hand embroidery. Only I'm not quite sure what to do.

Maybe a small wall hanging or even a quilted wall hanging. I've brought my sketch book out to have a doodle, to see what I can come up with.

Right. That's all from me for this year. I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year, and thank you for all the comments you leave and the support you give. It's been very much appreciated.

You give my days a little sparkle.

Stitch in the Ditch.

Can't stop! Just wanted to pop by and get my blogging fix.

Too much stitching to be done!

Can there ever be TOO much stitching?

No time to think about it now, must keep my foot to the floor and my fingers out of the way.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and I'm sooo looking forward to catching up with you all.

It's Almost Upon Us!

I'd like to wish all my lovely bloggy friends a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Crafty New Year.

You make my days sparkle and enrich my life.

Thank you for sharing your precious time.

Sending you all, where ever you are, love and wishes for much chocolate. Fi x

Christmas Wrapping.

Thank you. Thank you, for all your kind comments regarding the late Manky Cat. It was sad to lose him, but there is an up side. I can now leave the cushions on the rocking chair in the kitchen, safe in the knowledge that they won't be covered in cat hair! And I won't be discovering that someone has had a sneaky wee on the clean laundry folded in the laundry basket in the utility room! Or come down in a morning to someone laying on my kitchen tablecloth expectantly wanting breakfast! Yes there a lot of things I'll miss about Manky Cat and quite a lot that I won't. The joys of pet ownership, eh!

Talking of pets, I thought you might like to see Sneaky Dogs latest 'favourite' spot.

This is up in my attic, underneath my sewing table, squeezed in the few inches between my legs and my new electric HEATER. You can just see her collar under the edge of the table. (she looks like she's in a tanning booth!)

Now Sneaky Dog is not small by any stretch of the imagination, in fact she is on a strict diet now that Manky Cat has died and there is no cat food for her to steal. (hence the sneaky dog title!) But somehow she still managed to squish herself down into a more comfortable lolling position, while my position had to become, more of a, knees under my chin, kind of position!

Aww. That face says it all, doesn't it?

"Yeah, but you love me mum."

This is another favourite spot.

In front of the fire. The head end is a bit blurry as there was the important business of bone chewing to be done.

On the subject of important business, I've been wrapping Christmas presents.

And I've thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I love brown paper and try to recycle as much of my gift wrapping as possible.

For example, my mum always wraps my gifts with beautiful ribbon, which I squirrel away to reuse another year.These silky ready cut strands use to be a tassel on a cushion. They fell out in clumps and now have a second life as the little strings for my gift tags.I like to make my own gift tags if possible, and one of my best craft investments is my tag shaped punch. Another little recycling tip is to cut those little folding gift tags (like the gold one above) in half, so you have twice as many. This can also be done with pretty gift tags received from other people (like the holly wreath one), cut off the used part and just write on the back of what used to be the front.

Adding peel off stickers and ribbon to plain tags makes them more personal and can help to co-ordinate the look.

Here are three little boxes I made from scrap booking papers, stacked and tied together with gingham ribbon and a little tinkly bell. To finish off, a homemade gift tag.

Or maybe... I just like faffing!