says alice

The cutest fabric ever?

2011-11-18T17:03:00.001Z

I think this might just qualify!

You can find it in this lovely shop which I have had in my blog read list for a while:

With this one, they have excelled themselves. Careful, if you pop in you might be there for a while!

Folksy's updates

2011-10-18T17:15:00.000+01:00

I have been a seller through Folksy since the beginning of the year and have found it a really useful place to do business.

Some of this, if I am honest, is legitimacy for selling through other channels as you just look a bit more official if you have an online shop. But I have also had a steady trickle of sales and referrals which has certainly made the process of setting up and keeping the products online worthwhile.

Now Folksy is going through a relaunch which has caused all kinds of debate between sellers, particularly those who have used Folksy as their main channel for some time. In fact, some have been told that they no longer gave a place in the folksy community, because the vast majority of their products are not 'crafted' - this could mean they just assemble a pendant and a chain, or attach an earring hook to a charm. I guess the principle is that this is manufacture rather than craft.

I have huge sympathy for these folk - we all buy things like those that they make after all, and someone has to make them and sell them somehow. However Folksy is trying to become a retailer defined by unique products and limited availability, which I understand too.

I'm lucky to have come to the party recently and have watched the debate from the sidelines. I think I'll reserve judgement on how well the new design serves me until I have tried it out and whether I get sales. For now I'd be happier reading about the Folksy corporate marketing plan - how do people find Folksy and how can I serve them best? That kind of advice would be invaluable...

The bag lady

2011-09-29T10:28:00.000+01:00

Pictures taken, I am delighted to say I have now updated my online stock.

I have popped two reversible tote bags onto the Folksy site for sale, with a selection of pictures for each. It feels like they have been completed for a long time so it's a lovely feeling to now have them out there. It was only while loading them that I realised how summery they are - I'll have to make a few cordoroy versions for winter!

Anyway, hope you enjoy them, and do pop over to Folksy if you would like to see more :-)

A bit of a tidy up

2011-09-27T17:40:00.000+01:00

This blog has been a lovely place to lurk about, but I often fund myself doing more reading of other blogs than I am writing up my own bits and bobs.

So, I have done a bit of a tidy up and designed some real proper image boxes for the links to the right (to the Folksy shop and the Facebook page) and added a bit of functionality behind the scenes. It feels like a bit of a fresh start.

I have also launched the Facebook page properly for the first time although it has been in development for some time. I really struggle with advertising to friends on Facebook, but a few have asked for links to send onwards so I thought this might be an easy way to spread the word to folk who aren't on my own personal list. How do other people get around this?

Now I just need my friendly local photographer (aka the husband) to return so I can pester him to take some pics of bags. I'll be modeling, so you'll need to be especially kind about these ones!

Can I hear jingle bells?

2011-09-24T07:20:00.000+01:00

Yes, I'm afraid to say that the Christmas prep has begun.

I have been going through the Christmas fabric stash and planning what I need to stock up on and what I might just treat myself to :-) I have a couple of ideas for new things this year, so I hope to extend the bunting range a bit. The trial runs and test pieces have worked well, I just need to make a few complete pieces to photograph and I'll be up and running.

Can it really be months since the last time? Feels like weeks!.

Congratulations Mangle Prints!

2011-07-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

It is always good to hear when things are going well and it is particularly good when you know the people involved.

I read on the Folksy blog here that Mangle Prints is one of the top 5 most visited shops on Folksy last month, which is great news. The prints and cards in the shop are really beautiful and even better, made in Norfolk.

I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda when I booked onto a lino printing course in the spring where she showed us some of her stunning work. She was also extremely patient while guiding a group of absolute beginners through the basics of lino cutting, inking and printing.

The course was run at the Hare and Hen ceramics studio at Burnham Deepdale in Norfolk which I would also recommend. Not only is it great to learn something new, but you also get great soup for lunch.

New stock has arrived!

2011-07-03T08:26:00.000+01:00

I have just spent a fun few hours cutting up pictures rather than fabric, to get everything ready for display online. I can now happily report that the Folksy shop is stocked up! New pictures and beautiful bunting, all now filling the virtual shelves.

Until now it has just been the mini bunting and personalised bunting in the shop, and it has sold a few and generated a few direct enquiries which has been definitely worthwhile. But I have made so many other bits and pieces that haven't made it online that it became almost too big a job to tackle.

Folksy is a very user-friendly place for the most part, but the photos have to be loaded in square format which means that every image has to be edited to fit before you can begin displaying anything. Which also means you have to take pictures knowing that you'll lost 15% at each side when they are finally viewed.

Hence it is a Bit Of A Job and gets put off. But yesterday, I finally did it all and am jolly pleased with how it all looks. And now there are just one or two bags to get online, mainly held up because they need to be modelled by someone (usually me) and I need to get someone else to take the pics. As a quick taster, here's one of them...

Bunting is a style icon!

2011-06-29T08:10:00.000+01:00

Has anyone else seen this in the Guardian yesterday?
The latest style advice is that bunting is the new cupcakes!

Who knew I would be surfing the wave of a new trend... there is no wonder there has been a flurry of sales :-)

alice says hello!

2011-06-23T09:32:00.001+01:00

Thought I should really make note of this as yesterday was another first for says alice - a stall at an event.

I have been selling online and through shops for a while, but this is the first time I have put together a table of wares for en event. It took a bit of a flurry of activity to have both stock and samples of things to sell and order, but it was also really good to get a bit organised and crack on with lots of jobs that have been part done for a while.

I'm really pleased with the way it went. There were some sales, some orders and a lot of chatting with the folk running other stalls. Over 2000 people attended the event on the day and all of them had to come into the marquee at some point to shelter from downpours, so it was a fun and productive day!

It was almost like being back in an old job where I used to go to exhibitions on behalf of the college I worked for, recruiting students. I found myself putting together the 'events kit' of everything I might possibly need, from paperclips to blutac and pegs. And then there was the last minute panic about paper bags - what if someone wanted a bag to take things away in...??!

I must say thanks to the Pre-school Learning Alliance for inviting me along and to Donna from ecosnackwrap on the stand nextdoor for making me welcome!

Pretty as a picture

2011-06-17T19:28:00.000+01:00

This is a bit delayed really, as I seem to have been making nothing but these for days and am surrounded by frames full of applique!

But this is the first and so the one that is responsible for the start of the avalanche. It was a wedding gift for a couple whose initials are V and A, so the design was an obvious choice. But still a bit of a challenge with all those twists and turns in the ampersand.

It came together far quicker than I thought it would and, after a bit of a play with designs I now have a growing repertoire of flowers, butterflies, fish, boats and even dinosaurs. If I can draw it, I can applique it with my own shabby chic style!

It's also a fantastic use of the offcuts box, where I keep little bits of leftover fabric that is too good to throw away, but too small to use for bunting or bags. Everyone is a winner!

I have seen other crafty bloggers take part in 'bits box' swaps and now I understand why!

I made a changing bag!

2011-05-19T09:38:00.001+01:00

The sharp eyed among you will notice that this is already on the pages of things I have made and will be making more of.

There is no other excuse than being a bad blogger who makes stuff and then runs out of time to write about it. I meant to put this up as a work in progress sometime back in April but suddenly it is nearly June and the bag has been with its new owner for weeks. Luckily I snapped a few shots first.

This is the first time I had used the pattern, which I downloaded from here. It is a sew4home.com pattern which has some lovely bits and pieces on it. I didn't really know what to expect from a pattern pdf and had huge fears that it wouldn't all fit together. But I was careful with my measurements (chanting prep prep prep in my head to stop myself rushing forward and making mistakes) and it all came together perfectly.

In fact the only real issue I have is that the bag is described as a small bag for when you only need a few bits and pieces. Honestly, if you tried to carry a bigger bag you'd need to put wheels on it.

I have already pinned up the pattern pieces to make a couple more for the fair coming up in a few weeks and then the shop. After several million strings of bunting, it is also nice to make something three dimensional.

Hope you are all making progress too!

Folksy Friday

2011-04-22T15:02:00.000+01:00

It's good to see that the creativity is still going strong out there! The theme this week is rosemary, which I have just spent this morning taking cuttings from. Our last one didn't last the winter and I am determined to have many before we face the next...

This first is from Alexis Southam and is properly beautiful. A real statement piece.

This soap is from Handmade Soap by Caroline and looks so pretty in the picture.

And finally, this one from Caractacus Pots. It's a bit of a cheat, but the product description recommends baking cheese with rosemary, which I have every intention of trying, very soon!

Returning hero

2011-04-20T14:16:00.000+01:00

Possibly overstating the case a bit!

I feel I owe apologies for blog neglect over the past few weeks. There should be a word for that - idleblog maybe, or soggyblog.

In all honesty, I'm not sure where the time has gone to, other than I have had a pile of stuff head out the door and little time to take stock. While that's great, it is nice to come up for air every now and again. With the long easter and royal weekends now on the horizon, there is still lots to be getting on with too.

All that said, I thought it was high time I reported back on a couple of recent projects. I have had a flurry of requests for 'name' bunting and have made four or five strings in the past couple of weeks. Plus I have made another batch of royal wedding bunting, some big bunting for a bedroom (big to me in comparison to all the mini bunting, normal to everyone else I suspect!) and a changing bag as a gift for a friend (pictured). This last one owes a big credit to the pattern I downloaded from sew4home.com which has a real treasure trove of free downloads. They can also be used commercially as long as they are namechecked, which seems eminently fair enough to me. I may make a couple for sale, as it went down very well with the mum-to-be.

Next up it is gardening - no income here, but the rewards when looking gazing over the brim of an iced G&T are infinite!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the sunshine :-)

Folksy Friday

2011-03-25T13:55:00.000Z

This is my first Folksy Friday and I hope you like these things as much me.

We had a lovely drive through the countryside yesterday and we were lucky enough to see a partridge standing beautifully by the side of the road. They are really stunning birds and it is great to see some people doing them creative justice :-)

This is a lovely one isn't it? There is something almost Christmassy about it (although not a pear tree in sight).

It is by Dee Beale and she has a couple of other in her folksy shop"
http://www.folksy.com/shops/deebeale

This is a beautiful brooch too and looks almost like a biscuit...
I rarely wear brooches but as this doesn't have hugely strong colours I can imagine it being very easy to wear.

It is by Jude Allman:
http://www.folksy.com/shops/judeallman

Last but far from least is this beautiful cushion from Helkatdesign. I love the little flock and the purposeful step!

Helkatdesign can be found here:
http://www.folksy.com/shops/helkatdesign

Pincushions

2011-03-25T13:29:00.000Z

I am doing a craft fair in the summer and hope to book a few more for the Autumn, so I have started to stockpile a few of these. I have spotted them in quite a few Folksy shops so I don't think I'll put them online, but hopefully they will go quite easily as a low cost option at a fete.

I have a couple of ideas for slightly different ideas and I hope these will get on to Folksy in due course.

In the meantime, these have proved fab for doing something productive on the days when I feel uninspired. A bit of sewing, stuffing and buttoning later and bingo, something is finished.

Packaged and ready

2011-03-18T10:44:00.000Z

This week has been a busy one getting everything organised for a new venture, working with a lovely local craft shop and gallery here in Norwich: Grapevine

I popped into the shop earlier this week (which is well worth a visit by the way, lots of lovely goodies) and asked if they thought bunting would be of any interest to their customers. After being very patient with me having no idea about how all this works, they were generous enough to give it a go! So you can now find a range of Says Alice mini-bunting in Grapevine, which, for me at least, is very exciting indeed :-)

Luckily I had quite a few strings ready to go, but I did have to think about the packaging a bit. I had some cellophane card wrappers which worked perfectly for the mini bunting, but I played with other ideas too. It would be nice to rely less on plastic, but as I had these and they fitted well, I ended up with the cellophane and will review it when I have more time (and inspiration).

The big bunting wouldn't squash stylishly into anything that I have at all, so I have ordered some new wrappers which will hopefully fit them better. Fingers crossed for Monday.

Hope you all have a fab weekend! I'm off to bake a birthday cake for a party at the weekend...

You don't have to look far...

2011-03-09T09:15:00.000Z

... to find something lovely at the moment.

These were tightly, tightly closed when I got them last Friday and now look, they are blowsy, big and beautiful. Didn't take them long to get going.

I have them on the windowsill for this photo but they have been sitting next to me on the sideboard, close to where I do most of my sewing. Thinking about it, I ought really to have some extras beside the computer which is where I seem to be spending a fair percentage of my time, but that would require forward planning...

I have just noticed that if you look very carefully you can see a black tub of daffs outside the window too, which are still just spikes of small leaves. They were planted in tubs last year and then buried, as they were put in a bed which needed a 'big dig'. We finally got the energy to do the digging last week, so the daffs in tubs are awaiting replanting. I'm thinking the view from the desk might just need cheering up.

Lots of sewing to do today plus some exiting things for Says Alice. I'll report back!

Spring is open for business

2011-02-28T11:56:00.001Z

Well, it is here anyway!

Just as we start to get the garden ready to face the year, it seems that we have been overtaken by things springing into life around us. The grasses are growing back, the asters are showing signs of life and the daffodils won't be far behind the snowdrops at this rate.

After another weekend of shifting oak leaves, one mountain at a time, and we finally felt safe enough to take the cover off the pond and the newts rewarded us by coming up to have a stare (probably to get air, but as the fish were entirely unmoved I like to think something was paying attention to our efforts!).

In honour of spring, the pic is my 'spring greens' bunting which is over on the folksy shop. It is also the first one to have a sale which is VERY EXCITING! Have I said that loudly enough? Brace yourself, I'll say it again - VERY VERY EXCITING!!

It was also featured in a lovely folksy friday entry on a blog called Blingery, which I must figure out how to do...

For now, I hope you are all starting to feel some of the joys of spring too :-)

Snowdrops

2011-02-21T08:42:00.003Z

Aren't these lovely?

Some signs went up last week for a 'snowdrop walk' at Keswick Old Hall, which is just about walkable from our house. We had guests to stay over the weekend so we didn't really plan to be able to get there. But we found ourselves with the opportunity so we pulled on our boots (still with clods of murmurating mud stuck to them) and wandered out, arriving 5 minutes before they packed up their slices of cake and went home.

The Hall itself is beautiful and with a great history all intertwined with the big Norfolk families, particularly the Gurneys. There was all kinds of sueing for causing things like 'emotional estrangement from wife'. Brilliant.

The chap who owns it now opens it for the snowdrop walk every year for charity, this year was St Johns Ambulance. The gardens go down into the woods by the river and were absolutely chock full of snowdrops - really, really beautiful. Despite our late arrival, we were made really welcome and followed a very well worn trail so there had obviously been plenty of people there during the day.

There were also tea and cakes and, being late, we helped them use up what was left... HUGE slices of coffee cake and chocolate cake, shortly followed by the need to walk the long way home to burn of a few of the calories.

Overal, it was a great reminder that you don't have to go far or make complicated plans to find something lovely . Hope you all had a lovely weekend too :-)

2011-02-15T20:38:00.001Z

This has been an exciting week in the world of says alice...

I have finally made good on my threats and set up a little shop on Folksy. I know it is only a success after I have made a few sales and a bit of a reputation for great quality work and service, but just getting it up and running feels like a great leap forward.

I have made four different strings of mini-bunting to stock it with to start with. The royal wedding bunting has gone on (pictured here), and some greens and blues and reds. It's mini bunting so it is designed to fit mantle pieces and shelves, but, if I do say so myself, very cute indeed :-)

Check me out at www.folksy.com/shops/saysalice

Watch out, I'll be on Dragon's Den next!

Getting in line

2011-02-02T09:32:00.001Z

You can always tell when I have been on a sewing roll, because my pins get all lined up in an orderly file.

This means I have been using them all at once, run everything through the machine in a batch and got into a real rhythm of putting them away in the tub next to the machine.

I have developed a real preference for these pins as well, probably because a lot of the fabric I have been using lately is patterned and the little metal pins blend in far too easily. These coloured pins were the cheapest of the cheap from IKEA and (now all the blunt ones have been weeded out) they are the ones I always grab out of the sewing box.

The sewing blitz is because of the plans for the new folksy shop that I hope to get up and running in the next few weeks. The bunting is now all stocked up and I have a few other things coming together as well. Only a half day to work on it today so I'll do some cutting out I think.

Hope all is well out in the blogosphere. Hope your pins aren't as OCD as mine!

New year? Where did it go?

2011-01-17T16:15:00.000Z

Well, that wasn't exactly the way to start a blogging good 2011. Middle of January and no updates at all. Shocker.

Luckily the sewing hasn't been quite so sporadic. I have made a pair of cotbed duvet covers and pillowcases which took have hopefully eased the work of the dummy fairy, as well as a draught excluder and a couple of leftover strings of bunting.

The draught excuder is (badly) pictured to the left. It is double sided (check on the outside and floral inside) and has a tube lining that is held in by ribbon bows at each end. The idea is that it is easy to post and also to stuff. It works on our landing so I'll get a couple more done for the launch of the new Folksy shop in the next few weeks.

Next up is a doorstop design that I dreamt up over Christmas. I'm all about adaptability at the moment and hopefully this idea will make it possible to use a variety of stuffings and weights. Let's hope it comes together without too many tweaks.

What I am not telling you is that I have just made my worst set up muffins ever. They were supposed to be diabetic friendly, but the only thing they did really successfully was prove how essential butter, eggs and sugar are to cakes. Bicarb of soda might make a cake look OK, but the flavour just isn't there. At all.

Lesson learned...

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T09:25:00.000Z

Christmas is now very nearly here and the season of plenty has well and truly arrived. We still have a pretty decent dusting of snow so as long as it stays cold we look set to have a crisp white day, which would be lovely.

The snow has been less beautiful when it has been in the way though and it very nearly caused us to have to spend Christmas in Oxford. The road there was some of the worst driving I have ever had to do, with the option of turning around blocked by skidding lorries and fishtailing cars. While a Christmas away would have been lots of fun in many ways, it would have left a lot of our Norwich family with no Christmas dinner. And I would have had to find a way to use up a large bag of cranberries and a half hundred weight of sprouts in January!

Now we are home safely, it is just left to say Merry Christmas to everyone and to wish you all a fantastic New Year.

Oh, and I nearly forgot the pic. I'm sure it doesn't do it justice, but I love the shadows on the wall made by the twinkling lights on the tree. It's like the winter version of water ripples reflecting the summer sun. Except a bit chillier.

Have a wonderful weekend!

What's under the Christmas tree?

2010-12-10T08:34:00.000Z

We were scrolling through our pictures from last Christmas and this popped up. Jester loves the outside coming inside and always make a beeline for a great vantage point under the tree.

Last year he even stayed still long enough for me to take a picture of him, even though I have managed to make Santa sit on his ear.

Hope you are all enjoying the Christmas preparations. It has well and truly arrived here, with the cake decorating done, the fairy lights twinkling away and the tree making the house smell amazing.

Today the season of plenty will be reinforced by the first batch of homemade mince pies, a ginger cake, wreath making, present wrapping and a curry for tea. Well, you can peak too soon!

I should also say thanks to everyone who ordered some of the Christmas bunting. I have been busily sending strings out all over the country which has been lovely and a great stepping stone towards getting a bigger range of things organised for the Spring. It feels like a challenge, but one which I am now really looking forward to.

This time last year I was halfway through serving my notice at work, considering what I was going to do with my new-found independence. Ooooh, I can feel a review of the year coming on....

Mrs Tiggywinkle comes to visit

2010-11-26T19:35:00.001Z

Look who we found!

This little lady had curled up in one of our many piles of oak leaves - buried right at the heart of a huge drift outside our back door, but sadly right in the way of our delivery of firewood.

The poor sleepy thing had to be moved but luckily we have plenty of piles of leaves to choose from and hopefully she was just as snug under the hedge.

I have been watching out for hedgehogs in the area as we keep hearing that they are getting rarer so it is particularly nice to have one right outside out door.

In other news, the mincemeat is made and lined up ready to be distributed. It made the house smell amazing so lets hope it tastes just as good in mince pies! I have also been wrapping up a few 'says alice' purchases to send out, so it feels like the festivities are just around the corner.

And then... there was snow :-)

It's christmas cake o'clock

2010-11-15T14:49:00.001Z

Well, the 2010 christmas cake has lift off...

The fruit is marinading, the butter is softening as I type, the spices are lined up ready to go and the brandy is, well, staying in the cupboard. The reason for that is the cake is a trial run for a wedding cake I will be baking next year and alcohol free is an option. Nut free definitely, alcohol free possibly. So we'll see how this one tastes.

I have also got a lot of mincemeat to make, which means a trip to the lovely farm shop up the road. I'm using a recipe from the River Cottage Preserves book, which uses Russet apples. I know there are lots of Russet trees on the farm so I'm hoping to get a bag of East Anglia's finest. The trick is to stick to getting the apples and to avoid coming home with a sack of spuds, ton of onions, pile of pumpkins, crate of cabbages.... you get the picture. It's far too good a shop.

I think it is something to do with the colder months - the instinct to stock up takes over. Until the freezer lid closes first time, every time, I must resist!

Holiday update

2010-11-08T14:53:00.002Z

We have just returned from a fantastic week in Cornwall, rescheduled at the very last minute when our intended holiday in northern France was cancelled due to the strikes. You need petrol to drive across France unfortunately...

On the up side, we got a wonderful cottage at the last minute on Lizard point and got the opportunity to have a look around a very beautiful county. The pic is from Perrenporth beach at sunset. It got properly rosy and orange a few minutes after I took this, but I like the dog. It isn't ours, it was just very happy to be on the beach and in our photo!

We can recommend the fishing villages, stone circles, art galleries (the Tate in St Ives of course), the pasties, cream teas and the sea views. If anyone can recommend a good post-Cornwall diet, I'd be grateful!

Now we are home and getting back into the normal routine. I have a few sewing projects with a very fixed deadline of Christmas, so once the washing mountain recedes I think it might be high time to get started. Then there is jam and mincemeat to make, the christmas cake to make and a gazillion other long overdue jobs to do.

Blogging definitely important though. Definitely!

A new header!

2010-11-07T12:30:00.002Z

And indeed a new logo - very exciting times for says alice!

I am very much enjoying having a graphic designer in the family and will be baking her many more cakes to say thanks for all of her hard work. There are more amendments still to come, so stay tuned to watch things develop.

I'm enjoying this, can you tell?

To blog or not to blog?

2010-10-26T10:29:00.002+01:00

The more I blog the more I find myself interested in other people's blogs. I find myself clicking into half a dozen of the ones I visit most regularly instead of doing the job in hand - blogging myself.

I think of myself as well behind the curve in the blogosphere, in that I am technically challenged and only just getting to grips with the idea of sharing some elements of my life with a very public audience. But some of you out there have been doing this for years. And years and years. Some have even finished one blog and started another.

I do find myself becoming a bit of a blog snob though. Huge pictures from other people's sites / brochures / catalogues with no dialogue other than 'I just love this' doesn't do it for me, and nor does a blog which has clearly turned the corner and become a commercial website. A link to etsy or folksy is fine, as is a page of the kinds of things you make, but front page ads? In fact, ads of any description are offputting.

If I ever head in this direction, poke me with a Mac pointer.

But I do love the blogs that chat, give insight and illustrate. There is certainly a dialogue that I as the reader am happy to play my part of, even if it is only as a stat in the page traffic. I like to go back and find out what happened next (or before) and to link out to the blogs which have inspired the writers I enjoy.

I guess what I am stumbling towards is the conclusion that one of the reasons I enjoy blogging is other bloggers. You are all just far to good at it!

Stitching and a bit of bitching

2010-10-21T13:13:00.004+01:00

These are the remnants of the very first (but still long overdue) sewing group evening last night.

I think we all made some progress, caught up on a bit of gossip and got a bit of inspiration for new projects. Which, of course, is the whole point.

It was also nice to get a reminder that other folk are doing the same things as me even though it often feels like a slightly isolated world. Taking a planned break from work is an incredible luxury, but does have the down side of increasing the amount of time spent alone. With a sewing machine. And, on occasion, a distinct lack of inspiration.

Looking forward to the next one already.

And in case you were interested, the projects in progress are shirt alterations for a husband who is hard on his cuffs, the making of a beautiful blouse and a very funky handbag. More later...

Things I discovered today

2010-10-18T16:37:00.005+01:00

Today, I walked into the city from home, a journey of just over an hour on foot each way.

On a mixture of country lanes, suburban roads and city streets, this affords a pretty good opportunity to have a mooch about and mull over stuff in general. Today though, I was distracted. And these are the reasons why:

1 - I was badly dressed. Two hours of walking requires sensible shoes: a ladies lunch calls for Jimmy Choos. Or at least shoes of a far less sensible variety.

2 - Aforementioned sensible shoes have developed a squeak. Annoying on any level, but particularly because it sometimes did it and sometimes didn't.

3 - A threat of rain called for an equally sensible coat which blew about like a flag all the way there and has now got fluff from my scarf attached to all of it's velcro bits. Wrong scarf, wrong coat, wrong everything!

On the up side, I caught up with a great friend, resisted the cake in the cafe, bought a fantastic and less flappy bargain coat, acquired a few library books and got some exercise. And the sensible shoes did mean that I could swooosh through all of the autumn leaves that are already starting to pile up everywhere. Beat that, Jimmy Choo!

Bunting bonanza

2010-10-15T08:40:00.002+01:00

More bunting!

This lot was for my niece and I am pleased to say that

a - she liked it

b - I liked it too

This is important, because it means that I have now experimented enough with techniques and materials to be pretty sure I have something I would be happy to share with other people.

Maybe, even, paying customers...

It seems silly talking about experimenting with something as simple as bunting. I have made ballgowns that have given far more stretch to the grey matter. But there is something genuinely scary about putting your name onto a product in the hope that someone will pay good money for it. It has to be worth it and worth having my name attached to it.

I think this lot is just about there. Feels like a landmark!

Starting a saga

2010-10-11T12:02:00.002+01:00

Has anyone else read these?

I must have heard the Forsyte Saga mentioned a thousand times but have never read it. Not quite sure how such a classic has passed me by, despite years spent doing nothing much else but read novels of a similar era at university. And a friend has just put me to shame by reading the lot, and loving it.

So, having 'borrowed' them from my Mum (my bookshelves are full of books 'borrowed' from Mum!) I got started. Five books in, I can now quite honestly recommend them. There really are some fantastic characters and great plotlines.

While it isn't quite un-put-down-able, it is a lovely one to curl up with, or take on holiday. I'll miss Soames, Jolly, Holly, Fleur, Annette and their houses, pets, cars and businesses when they reach their conclusions.

But it will open a gap for Mma Ramotswe and her many investigations, which have also been borrowed from a friend. She has a lot to live up to.

Bags of fun

2010-10-08T11:45:00.005+01:00

I have to say, I loved making this!

As something I can actually use rather than look at, it was really very satisifying. It also used some fabric that I bought on an impulse but that has not been quite right for anything so far. The little blue flowers seem to match the stripe pretty well and the white stars are an upcycling bargain. £2 for some curtains, which once dismantled turn out to be Laura Ashley fabric. My favourite kind of bargain!

I have also just received a bundle of festive fabrics which spell the start of the season to be merry. Can it be October already?

Stopping doors

2010-10-04T17:51:00.004+01:00

This has been languishing in the UFO box for a while, after being employed as football by a number of nephews. Having established it has great aerodynamics, I have finally finished it off and given it an identity as a doorstop.

I adapted it from a web based tutorial and am quite pleased with the way it turned out. It is trickier than I thought to estimate the size of things from a number of pattern pieces, which has resulted in this being bigger than I origanally intended, but better that way around. Pieces are easy to trim down.

The 'stalk' is a roll of felt handstitched together. As no-one can help using the stalk to pick it up I may have to make it a bit more robust!

It has been a busy few weeks for sewing, more posts to follow.

Getting back in the saddle!

2010-09-09T17:11:00.002+01:00

It feels like ages since I had the time to get all of the sewing things out and organised, which I can tell is bugging me because I have started to dream about the things I am going to make.

Last night it was applique lettering and bunting and I have had a recurring dream about a sequel to the fish cushion. It needs to be catty, so it needs to feature paw-prints or whiskers somehow. I am starting to get itchy fingers!

I have been getting my sewing(ish) fix from fabric shopping though, and have bagged some fantastic old curtains and pillowcases from charity shops. As expected, North Norfolk is a rich source of charity bargains for 'upcycling'. Suffolk didn't deliver quite so well, but the hunt will continue in Derbyshire over the weekend. Thank goodness for the excuse to visit a dispersed family.

Now I just need to get cracking...

Have Borrowers moved in?

2010-08-22T18:42:00.002+01:00

Hmmm, stranger and stranger...

I found this footprint on our draining board recently and was rather hoping that the Borrowers might have moved in. No sign of cotton reels or sardine tins going missing though, so I think my hopes might be dashed!

T thinks it is less likely to be the footprint of a fictional person and more likely to be the leftovers of a pasta fork, but he is always horribly realistic. I hope he is the first to uncover a Borrowers nest in the garage!

Sorry for the lack of recent postings by the way. The summer seems to have run away with itself. It has been a lovely one though and I think there will be further blogs to come yet. When the pictures of summer camping get boring, let me know!

Fishes and coasters

2010-07-28T10:12:00.004+01:00

This is the fish a bit closer up and also a set of coasters I ran up to go with them, from a web based tutorial.

They looked cute, but not tremendously practical so I'm not sure I will be making many of them!

Sewing update

2010-07-28T10:00:00.002+01:00

I thought it was about time I updated on a bit of craftiness. I made this cushion for a friend as a very belated birthday gift.

It came together much easier that I expected it to and I really enjoyed just making something up rather than following a pattern or instructions. I had the fabric left over from curtains and quilting and just had to get some buttons for the fastening at the back. The idea for the pleating came from a skirt I have seen in an old instructions book. I thought it looked like waves, but in the end it was good just to have a bit of texture.

I like having these challenges and it always feels lovely to be able to give something that is a true original. And weirdly it does usually turn out OK, even if I feel like I am winging it at the beginning!

Our blackcurrant harvest...

2010-07-21T11:54:00.002+01:00

... probably won't see us through the winter.

Yes, that is an egg cup and there really are only five lonely berries in there. Should have left them for the birds really, but I could see them from the kitchen window and I felt the need to harvest.

Luckily the onions are doing fine and the sweetcorn and tomatoes seem to be heading in the right direction. The cabbage whites are enjoying the cabbages and I'm hoping the carrots look more impressive underground than they do above.

I am chalking everything up as great experience and must must must remember that if I am the only person that likes something, it is probably not worth filling the veg patch with. Courgettes take note.

Gliding

2010-07-18T20:18:00.005+01:00

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to have a go at gliding, courtesy of a very generous birthday present. It's fair to say I was a bit nervous, much to the amusement of T.

It's the first time I have flown in 4 years following the onset of a severe dislike of airports (brought on by too many delays, uncomfortable seats and expensive food). Windrushers gliding club in Bicester was slightly different - the passenger lounge is a coach on the airfield and the pilots bring their dog to work. Far more civilised!

When I was finally in and fully briefed on how not to become an 'untethered object' in the cockpit, the whole thing passed by almost too fast. It took a few minutes to believe that the thing wasn't about to fall out of the sky and once you did, it was quite an amazing experience. I can highly recommend it.

The trusty Bernina

2010-07-17T13:52:00.002+01:00

While searching for the dressmaking images I remembered this which I took a few months ago - my much loved Bernina.

This has more than earned its keep, having been my Grandma's before it came to me, and since then having soldiered through two lots of bridesmaids dresses, a few ball gowns, more curtains than I care to remember, learning to quilt and all kinds of knick knack gifts. It can do far more than I have ever mastered.

It is currently languishing in need of a service and a rebalance. I have somehow managed to get the tensions out of kilter, making the top-thread jam and snap. Since the arrival of the new Frister-Rossman I have been far from attentive and have resolved to get the poor thing sorted and back into use next week.

I'll report back...

Bunting 101

2010-07-17T08:14:00.003+01:00

I have been making a few trial runs of things and this is the result of Bunting 101. Made from T's old work shirts and pillowcases, it didn't turn out too badly.

The sewing came together with no problems but the cutting out was a bit laboured, so still some refinements to be made. I also need to get a more glamourous backdrop for photos (or to finally get around to oiling the table...).

I might also dig out some old photos of dresses I made years ago, although when I find them I might change my mind!

The cat being used as a experiment

2010-07-08T10:58:00.004+01:00

Not fair, I know. The cat always gets the 'first picture on the blog' spot.

Poor chap didn't even get a chance to pose.

But he should take heart from being part of a successful training exercise in getting pictures from the computer to the blog without significant user error.

Doubt it is the last time he'll be helping me out.

A bit of a redesign

2010-07-08T10:39:00.002+01:00

The faffing continues...
In fact I think blogs may be a big black hole of time spent faffing, but I do like the idea of having a place to record progress. Maybe not leaps and bounds, but slow and steady.

Creating a blog...

2010-06-23T21:34:00.000+01:00

... does feel a bit like a commitment to having something interesting to say. Time will tell whether anyone finds this compelling reading. To be honest, being read at all would be an achievement, no matter what the reaction.