And more........

Yep, there is more!  Brooches to be precise.  You are going to be so bored by the time that I finish this!  I don't care though as it forms a good record for me to look back on.

I have been making what I call flower and button brooches from felt for quite a while and they are selling reasonably well on Ebay.   However I have not sold a single one on Coralie's Etsy.  Does anyone ever buy from Etsy?  I just use it to get ideas.

Anyway, here are some of my latest flower brooches.  I have quite a few in stock so haven't made many of these.

Simon got me a Sizzix Big shot machine in the holidays.  For those not in the know, it is a die cutting machine which means you can cut shapes very precisely with little effort and up to 8 layers at a time depending on the thickness of the fabric.  It is brilliant.  I do not have many dies yet but I do have a heart shaped one that cuts 3 different heart shapes at one time.  I can layer the fabrics that I want so can cut really quickly.

One day last week my mind turned to heart shaped brooches!  So, I have made a gazillion.  Well about 16 actually!  I have listed them on Ebay to see if they do better than the flowers.  I am not really too bothered if they sell or not as I want to build up a stock of small inexpensive items so that I can have a craft stand at the dog show next year to raise money for them.

They only had a cake stall and a bric a brac and I think crafts will sell well.  Especially if I can make things with a doggie link.  There is a lot of dog print fabric around right now so that might work.  In fact I made a couple of the heart brooches in dog fabric.

Well I still have more to "Show and tell" but I shall save it for another blog since this one was so long!

More Show and tell

Well I said I would be back with more "show and tell" and here I am!  It is a grotty horrid day here today, windy, cold and rainy so I have been pottering around doing odd bits of sewing and some scrap book pages for a scrap book that I am doing of my Mum's life.  It is a Christmas present for my Dad. Now it is time to sit at my computer with a cup of coffee for half an hour before I have to start on dinner.

So here we go with more of my projects. I have done lots of things for Christmas.  I have done 2 sofa throw quilts using the same pattern as the one on my sofa and the one that I did for Saskia.  The first one is for Sam and Lisa and is in browns and maroon to match their living room.  I have quilted around the rectangles as I did my previous two.

This one is for Josh and Charlotte and is in a totally different colourway for their room.  On this one I have quilted it by using a technique known as stippling.  It is a free hand machine embroidery technique.  I am pleased with how it has turned out although I have a long way to go yet to perfect my stippling.  It is not easy.  I find it difficult to get the tension right.

Next I have this cat doorstop which is for another family members Christmas present.  Don't think she reads my blog so she won't guess it is for her!  It has a brick inside it so it is really heavy.  I am pleased with this.

This is a wall hanging Christmas decoration and I am really pleased with this.  It was very fiddly to do and I nearly threw those triangles across the room!  They are so hard to turn through.  I think the beads work well.

What else is there?  Oh yeah lots of purple things.  First some purple curtains which hang at the window half way up the stairs.  They have my felt flowers attached which I think looks good.

I am half way through making a  purple wall hanging for my hall.  I have used the same pattern as I used for the wall hangings that I showed you yesterday.  The pattern came from Denise and we all worked on one each at one of our sewing sessions.

We usually try to have a sewing session with Denise once a week.  It is over a year and a half now since we begun and she has taught us so much.  I could not have got this far without her. Sometimes we have a "lesson" where she teaches us a technique.  Recently though she has been finding small projects for us to do so we can each work on the same thing at the same time and hopefully more or less complete it in one session.  It is really nice doing that and we can have a good old chat while we work.

This purple pouch was one of the things that we did together.  It is so interesting to see how differently things turn out when using different fabrics.  Coralie did hers in a beige print fabric with sage green trimmings.  Denise's was in a kind of gold.  Coralie and I placed the flower to the side where as Denise put hers in the centre.  I am not sure who this is for yet.  I may use it as a snowman present for someone.

Right, time to get on with dinner.  I shall be back soon with yet more.    Yes, I have done more!

Make do and mend on Tuesday

Well it is an absolute age since I did a "Show and tell" blog.  I have worked on lots of projects over the summer and in fact I did have an album of photos saved as a draft on Multiply but there is no point in adding them there now.

On my last show and tell which was on the 3rd of July; I showed you a wall hanging that I have made for Saskia for Christmas, a half finished red and white table runner, some half finished, small, cat applique pictures and a half finished turquoise wall hanging.

So I guess that is the best place to start today.  Saskia's wall hanging is finished and residing in my Christmas box. It matches the quilt that I made her for her birthday.  Same fabrics.

The turquoise wall hanging is also finished.  I have no idea what I shall do with it as I just made it on a whim one day when I was waiting on fabric to begin something new.  I used scraps for this one.  I may sell it or I may give it to someone.

The table runner is finished and is on my kitchen table.  I am only half pleased with it.  I like the colours but am not altogether happy with the design.

The cat appliques are now finished and are framed and they are a Christmas present for another family member.

I have made several cards.

I saw a picture on the Internet of a hanging cockerel so I tried to copy it.  It hasn't gone quite right as the head is a bit long.  He does have character though and is hanging in my kitchen.

I also made these 2 cards to send to 2 very good friends over the pond in Merika.

This is a tiny sample of the things I have done.  Tomorrow or maybe even later this evening I will show you some more. I have made 2 sofa throws, more wall hangings, curtains, a cushion and a gazillion brooches.  Oh Yes!

 

Doggie show

Another busy day over and done.  We were up early and out of the door at 8.45am to go to the dog show.  Simon stayed for an hour and a half to help with the setting up. There were gazebo's, stalls and a small show ring to set up.  He then went home to get on with garage stuff.

I helped lay up the cake stall.  They were thrilled with all the cakes that I made yesterday.  See below.

I was then put in charge of a stall selling bric a brac.  They didn't expect it to sell much as people would not really be looking for that kind of stuff.  I sold a half dozen things and made £30 for them so I was pleased.  It was the most glorious day.  The hottest one of the entire year.  Great for me, sitting under my gazebo but not so good for the poor dogs.

They had a brilliant turn out and I was right opposite the ring so could watch proceedings. There were some gorgeous dogs all with their own story to tell. It was lovely to see so many, happy and healthy and with loving human companions.  These were all dogs that had not had a good start to life.

This photo shows one of the other volunteers, Louise and he rescue spaniel, Purdy.  They won the first prize in the waggiest tail class!  Purdy is a little dear.  She spent several hours fast asleep in her crate behind my stall in the shade.

The show finished at 3pm and Simon came back to help clear up and to take me home.  I was really pleased that all my cakes had sold.  The fairy cakes were 50p each so they made in total over £55 just on my cakes. All in all it was a good day and I met several more of the volunteers.  I shall see them again next Saturday when I am going to the kennels to help exercise the dogs.

Once home Simon went back out to work on his garage and I  had a nice  bubble bath with a glass of the red stuff.  I figured that I deserved it.  Simon did a nice roast beef dinner and since we ate we have both  been sitting with our lap tops. I am half falling asleep.  I bet as soon as I go to bed I will be wide awake as per usual. I hate that!

Hopefully back here tomorrow.

Busy Saturday

It has been a wonderful day here in the Fens.  Temperature around 77 degrees and lots of sun.  I'm wondering if this is summer?  Strange that it should come now.  It won't last.

I am exhausted.  It has been a busy day.  When isn't it?  We went this morning to the Three Counties dog rescue home.  This was the second Saturday that we had gone.  I am going to be doing some volunteer work with them.

I spent about 3 hours there this morning mainly getting to know Gyll the owner and a few other volunteers. Simon was there for a while but did go off to run a few errands. It is a good place and they do wonderful work. It is sad to see all the unwanted dogs and 1 more was taken in while I was there.  So sad.  There were 2 couples there though to view the dogs and it looks like one little chap may have a new home.  Fingers crossed for him.

Simon and I did take a little Jack Russell called Bobby out for a play in the paddock which was nice.  He was adorable.  So full of life and fun.  Why he was given up is beyond me.  If I didn't have Alfie and Loulou I would be bringing them all home with me!!

This afternoon I have been baking.  Mega baking!  The dog rescue people have a fun dog show tomorrow and they needed cakes for a cake stall.  I have baked 5 dozen cup cakes, 3 dozen rock cakes, a chocolate and banana loaf cake and an iced almond cake.  Phew!  It is the least I can do to try to help them raise funds.

Poor doggies.  So sad. Alfie and Loulou have spent the afternoon trying to convince me that they are poor doggies and should therefore be allowed to sample the cakes!  I did make a batch of rock cakes minus the demerera sugar so they may get one of those at bedtime.

Simon has spent the afternoon and half the evening working on his garage extension.  It is coming on now and most of the roof trusses are up.  He will be ordering the actual roofing on Monday.   He did cook dinner though as I was all cooked out.  It was a nice dinner of lamb steaks.  Very yummy.

We have an early start tomorrow as we are going to help out at the dog show. It is being held at a garden centre about 8 miles from here.  Simon will help to set up first thing but he is then coming home to get on with the garage.  I am going to stay for the duration.  There are various stalls to help out on and also there will be some of the rescue dogs there too and I can help with them.  It should be fun.

The dog show is just a fun thing to raise money. It is not a serious show like the ones we entered Alfie in when he was a pup.

I hope they raise lots of money.  They do not have a craft stall as no one makes crafts.  I am planning on doing lots of bits and pieces over the coming year so that next year they can have a stall of my stuff.  Lots of small things that won't cost too much should sell well. Plus it is easy to make small things and I can use fabric scraps.

OK, I think  it is bedtime now.  I am tired today. Maybe I will sleep for once.  If you want to check out the Three Counties dog rescue click the link:  Three Counties Dog Rescue  Remember, "A dog is for life".

Look who has started "Big" school.

Just had to take a few minutes to share this.  I can't believe that he is at school already.  Seems like yesterday that he was born.

Yes, Evan started school this week.  He is only 4 but we are talking "Big" school here.  That is proper, full time school.  He is going to the same school that his Mummy and his aunties and uncle went too.  LOL.  Some of the teachers are the same!

Doesn't he look so grown up and handsome?  I so hope he does ok , makes lots of new friends and enjoys his school years.

Jilly

Another catch up!

Where on earth does the time go?  Last Monday when I posted a blog, I had every intention of trying to get back to my daily blogging habit.  Here we are more or less a week later and zilch!  Not to mention we have moved form August to September.

I can't believe that we are now at the end of summer and autumn is just around the corner.  The summer here was terrible.  We didn't really have a summer. I heard on the news that it is officially the worst one on record for donkeys years.  Yeah, like I needed to be told that!

The school holidays just flew by. Simon has already been back a week. This coming week will be the first one of his new 4 day week. Because of the way the school timetable works he will be off Monday one week and Tuesday the next.  Next week is a Tuesday week.  

The teachers always moan about the autumn term as they say it is a long one.  It isn't really, just a few days extra maybe.  I have always found that it flies by as it is all down hill till Christmas.  When our children were young, I would begin my Christmas planning in September.  I had to as it  was the only way to afford it by spreading the cost.

This year I have been planning Christmas since January!  Only because I wanted to try to make a lot of my gifts this year and that takes planning and time.  No way can you make loads of presents if you leave it until the last few weeks.  I am quite pleased with how this is going as I have quite a few made. 4 out of my 5 children are already sorted with homemade things.  I need to start on the grandchildren soon.  I am really loving making lots of things but just wish that I had more hours in a day.  

Today I have been working on a quilted sofa throw which is a Christmas gift.  I spent most of Thursday getting it tacked together.  The last one that I made, also a Christmas gift, wasn't as good as the previous 2 that I made. It had some wrinkles and I  ended up unpicking some and redoing it.  So this time I decided to tack it to within and inch of its life.  It took forever and killed my knees, back, wrists, hips, shoulders.....come to think of it...it killed me full stop!

I have found that the best place to do it is on my bedroom floor as there is lots of room but that means crawling around.  It was worth it though as it has turned out super smooth with no wrinkles.  I quilted it today using free hand stippling which took ages.  I am getting better at stippling.  I will take some photos and post a "Make do an Mend" blog soon.  I have loads to show of what I have done over the holidays.

Simon is continuing to work on the garage extension every spare minute that he gets. All the concrete panels are in place now and the roof trusses were delivered on Friday so I guess that is the next job.  

I had more to say but it is nearly 11pm and I am tired.  Simon is just doing some drinking chocolate so I think an early night is in order for once.  I shall endeavour to get back here tomorrow.  Hope you all have a good week.