Fun on the Farm

We missed our trip to Lismore earlier this year. Little C was unwell so we had to postpone. It was worth the wait though and so lovely to be there at this time of year. It was cold and blustery but so sunny and fresh. It was a joy to go out for walks with the family splashing in some very muddy muddles and combing the beach for treasures, Miss D came home with quite a stash of shells and stones, I'm still finding them in my pockets a week later! 

For those who don't know Lismore, it is a small Island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. We have family there and try to visit at least once a year. We were having such a great time that we stayed for an extra day, a few extra days would have been even better.

Unfortunately we had to come home so that I could get back to work. I've been working on a substantial costume order, lots and lots of 16th and 17th century shirts and smocks. I feel like I have been living in a cloud of white fabric for the past few weeks and it's the reason that I have been away from my blog of late. I;m trying to pop in when I can although panto work has just arrived in my stitchy corner so I may disappear again. I do miss Away With The Clouds when I have costume work taking up my time, but oh the joy of colour and sparkly panto fabric after all of that white, white, white! 

The pantomime this year is Beauty and the Beast at Stirling's Macrobert theatre,Nov 27th-Jan 5th.

Oh hello!

Sorry I've been away from the blog for a while. We've been full of bugs and sickness in our house lately so playing nurse has been taking up lots of time!

I have of course managed to squeeze in a little bit of stitchy time. Here are the fruits of my recent labour.

What do you think? I've been making little embroideries for years now, I find it very relaxing and a nice break from sitting at the sewing machine. However I can't usually decide what to do with them. I'm not sure where this idea came from, they just seemed to be a good size for a notebook I had lying around. I made the tree notebook first and then remembered about a couple of felt embroideries I had in my sewing box from about, oh five years ago or so!! 

I love the small size. It's nice to make something so detailed and delicate but small enough to finish up quickly, (I have quite a short attention span, plus some impatient little people).

It took me a while to figure out the best way to make the cover. I wanted to make sure they could be reusable notebook covers and also not be too bulky at the seems. I'm really happy with the result and my pattern comes together super quick. I'll try to make up a tutorial soon in case you fancy making your own. It'll be my first tutorial so I want to take my time and make sure it makes sense, because well...it's a tutorial hey!!

I already have lots more ideas for my little embroideries so watch this space! 

Oh yes and October, argh! Already! Lots of Christmas presents to start making!

Jumble bags update.

Jumble bags, now all finished and available now in the Etsy shop.

Leith Mela, speedy fun...

We were a bit strapped for time and harassed, but we went along anyway. We had about an hour, I am not very good at rushing, but we managed to fit quite a bit in as you can see. Music, performers, bouncy slides, the teacup ride (Miss D was very pleased with her orange teacup, which is one of her current favourite colours along with red and green), picking grass to feed to a very tolerant goat, a nature trail challenge and some art work. Phew!! Wish we had longer, but we made the most of a short visit.

Craft room, before and after.

It was a looooong wait and there is still a few odds and ends to finish. But here it is, my own little (and I mean little) space. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. It's lovely having my machines permanently set up again. 

We've been in our new home for over a year now but it's been hard to find the time for diy of this sort. Well, there was the arrival of little C a few days after we moved in and then the decoration of other rooms which was definitely more of a pressing matter. I still have a few bits and bobs tucked away in other cupboards. It will be nice to know where everything is instead of spending far too long hunting in ten different places by which time my stolen moments of stitchyness have ticked away!

It was a shame to cover up that lovely old floral print though (which we uncovered after scrapping off about four layers of hideous wall paper). Unfortunately it was just too dark, but as it refused to budge, it's still hiding under my new pale grey walls. 

Ahh the joy of having your own dinky little space!!

Jumble bags

A jumble of colour and fabric, for a jumble of possessions, at least that's what my bags are always full of, necessary...stuff! 

I've had these vintage fabrics in my stash for a while now and the big pink/cream floral is an Amy Butler print which I've been clinging on to. I'm getting better at parting with some of my favourites and it is satisfying to finally see them turn into something new rather than languishing in the fabric cupboard. I just need to resist keeping the bags for myself now. (That's what happened to one little floral number from the last batch). 

These three just need their finishing touches and then they'll be hot footing it over to the shop.

In the craft room today...

Rainbow stars and stripes cushion. I've been waiting for the chance to use some of this lovely cotton ticking. This and more in the Etsy shop soon, if I can bring myself to part with it ;-) x

The non holiday, holiday.

So we were supposed to go on our yearly (or so) visit to Lismore yesterday, but unfortunately little C fell ill with some virus, avec hot itchy rash. Nothing too serious according to the Doc, but he definitely wasn't up to a trip away.

So we decided to make the most of the time off in Edinburgh anyway. Luckily there is always something to do here, especially during a sunny August. Yesterday we took in a free fringe show for children. Some wonderful poetry by Joshua Seigal.

We weren't sure if  little Miss D would go for it, (it was billed for 5-8 yr olds, she is 3.5) but she loved it.

Today we went here . We've been before but not since little C was a newborn and Miss D was much more engaged with the animals this time. She even enjoyed looking at all the different veg they were growing. All was followed by a picnic at the fab meadows play park. It wasn't Lismore but still lovely simple family time.

One day!

So I had an idea, to make Little D a quilt. Not just any quilt, a special, entirely stitched by hand quilt!! Hmmmm yes, I do believe it's going to be a long project. I do enjoy it though. Because my work involves many hours at the sewing machine, it feels kinda nice to have a tactile, sit on the sofa type of project and it is for a special little person in my life so worth while. Mind you, she may not be so little by the time it's finished!