Happy Halloween

The Story of a Bag or Four.

Hello you shiny people.

Here are the two bags I've just finished making with the last of that pretty green and pink check fabric that I had in my stash.

I originally bought it to make myself a short straight skirt to wear with woolly tights and boots many moons ago when I was much thinner, my children a lot younger and sewing time much more elusive!

Here is the back view.

Obviously sewing time was TOO elusive back then and the skirt never got made!
The fabric stayed folded in the box, cupboard, drawer, wardrobe, all of its various homes over the years, only occasionally taken out to be stroked and caressed and then carefully replaced again.
But now it's been given it's day!
Matched up with pretty lining fabrics, appliqued and decorated and made into four pretty and unique MarmaladeRose handbags.
And I have enjoyed making them! Each on slightly different.

The first two were snaffled by a couple of lovely friends a few months ago. That's such a lovely warm feeling to realise that other people actually like what you make, that someone else 'gets' your style, your love of fabric and colour! That someone else appreciates the care, love and time that went into making it. But best of all that someone else is hopefully going to love it and get the pleasure of seeing it every day.

This is the third.

This is the cherry on the cake! Someone like it enough from a blog picture to want one before they had even seen the real thing, they desired my work enough to wait for their very own bag to arrive without even knowing what the lining would be like or how it would feel in their hands!

and the last one...

well, I couldn't part with all of that lovely fabric after cossetting it for all those years could I?
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Now feeling a little embarrassed and hoping you don't think I'm completely bonkers over a piece of fabric. lol

love Fi x

I Heart You Lots!

Another week has flown by and it's time again to share some wholesome hearty crafting with you lovely people.

Look a 'Thank You' heart!
How appropriate that this should be the first one, as that is exactly what I'd like to say to you all.
Thank you for all the lovely comments you take the time to leave on my blog.
I think you must all be super-human, I struggle like mad to find enough time to visit all the wonderful blogs out there that are on my favourites list, (it is a very, very long list though!)never mind stop and leave a comment.
Yes you are all simply super-duper and you really do put me to shame.

I am full of good intentions though, I promise.
I do try to drop in on you all and stop for a chat...
I need a lesson or two in better time management I think.

So here I am telling you all in my own little way, how much I 'heart' our little bloggy community.

These hearts are quite large, about 20cms across and full of lavender and wheat. So they could be gently warmed in the microwave if desired.

Or they could just be hung up to look pretty and be admired!

And to finish a sneaky peek at another bag hot off the sewing machine!

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Till next time

love fi x

Shed Head

Mmmmmm...excuse me chewing while we chat but I've just found a fruit pastilles in the bottom of my bag while searching for my camera. Scrummy!

Now you know you've left it too long between blog post when you have to go back and read your last post to find out what you chatted about. Honestly my head at the moment is all over the place! I've got folders and folders with photos to show you, all crafty stuff I've made recently but not had time to blog about.

Right lets get down to today's business... . . . sheds!

No not man sheds, pretty girl sheds of course.

I rediscovered a little sketch I had made over a year ago in my sketch book.
(How could it possible be a whoooooole year ago!)

A little sketch of a shed.

A pretty shed.

quite quirky.

Well you should have seen the fun I had and the mess I made.

"Don't just make one picture Fi" I told myself.

"If you're going to make one, then it's just as easy to make three!" I said very sternly.

"Yes, you are right Fi " I answered.

So I did.

Each one a little different from the first, and oh... what a lovely mess I made, piles of fabrics everywhere! Bliss!

That's all for today friends. These are some of the Christmas decs I've been making. I think we'll be having another catch up on Fi's crafting very soon if I'm ever to get through all those folders of photos! lol!

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love fi x

Yummy Creativity!

The last couple of weeks have been chock full of creativity here at MarmaladeRose.

Not all of it stitchy creativity, although there has been 'shed loads' of that.
Teehee!

I've been brushing up on my cooking skills, making jam

pickling runner beans (these are truly delicious)

baking something that nearly passed for bread buns!

trying to perfect my fruit scones

and sponge cake

rabbit pie, oops! Not really.
These are new, never been made before larger bunnies standing about 16 inches tall.

More fabric cupcakes but I think we've all seen enough of those.

And,

some pretty applique pictures but they'll have to wait until next time. I don't want to bore you all rigid!
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Right, I'm off to see what you've all been up to now.

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love Fi x

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

Drum-roll...The winner is...

Hello all, I hope you've had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend and that the weather in your corner of the globe was kind to you.

I've been out and about this weekend, visiting village shows and fetes and generally pottering about at home, bliss! My favourite kind of weekend.

I've entered raffles, rummaged in jumble, drooled over cake stalls, sampled local beers, winced at hot chilli chutneys, stroked rare sheep and best of all partaken of tea and cakes! Yummy! You can't beat an English village fete!

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The loveliest day I've had this week though was Thursday. Wonderful Man and I were invited to lunch by Sue and Neil at their beautiful home.

Sue and Neil are very new friends to us, in fact we only met about 2 months ago when WM and I were shopping in the next town. I was perusing vegetables when a lady stopped me and said, "Hello, are you..."

It was at this point I was thinking to myself, 'Wow this lady is going to be so embarrassed when she realises she doesn't know me at all.'

But do you know what... she did know me!

"Hello, are you...MarmaladeRose?"

Yes, I was a little bit surprised too, but in a nice way. Anyway to cut a long story short we found we had mutual bloggy friends and a few weeks later a lunch date was arranged.

Here's Wonderful Man and Neil taking in...


this spectacular view.

Gorgeous isn't it!


We had a delicious home made lunch sat in their cosy kitchen enjoying this gorgeous scenery, and then relaxed even more in front of a cosy fire complete with chocolate and a purring cat. Hmmmmmm...luuuuurverly.

Thank you very much Sue and Neil for a truly lovely afternoon.

All to soon it was time to go home although I did say, "We really ought to be making a move" about 4 times before I actually managed to drag myself up off their comfortable sofa.

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Okay I've kept you all waiting long enough. Shall we see who has won my giveaway?

I've counted and recounted (4 times actually) and not including multiple comments from the same people I declare....

(fanfare!)

Country Girl at Life on the East Coast the winner of my Cherry on Top bunting!

Thank you to everyone who left a comment, I enjoyed reading each and every one. In fact I enjoyed this giveaway so much that I'm going to have another one very soon, it was sooo much fun!

So Country Girl, I'll be contacting you shortly sweetie :)

Thank to all of you for making it such fun.

love Fi x