Machine Embroidery City and Guilds

I decided to take three (yes three) City and Guilds this year to fill up my week and improve my sewing skills. It certainly filled up my time, and although I didn't learn as much as I expected to I picked up a few things from some other lovely students in my class and made two FANTASTIC friends in the process. (I am hoping to feature them on my blog in the future as their work is just sooo lovely!).
This week I finished my final piece for my Machine Embroidery and I am thrilled with it. The downside to it is that it has to be handed in, along with the mountain of paperwork and samples that go with it and I probably wont see it again until June (after the verifier has been and marked us all-eek!!). I really really want to list it for sale on my Folksy shop (well, actually, I wanted to keep it, but his lordship pointed out that I will be carrying a baby nappy bag for a while and it would just sit looking pretty but unused...).
Anyway, I really wanted to share it's journey of construction with you all!

Working the machine embroidered sand...long process!

Skip forward a few hours and there's layered and embroidered sea and an appliqued brolly, deck chair and bucket...it's coming together!

A sand castle and a spade-quite fiddly to embroider neatly, but I managed it

Phew! A finished panel of embroidery-drawing with a needle is NOT easy or quick!

A bag front appears....

Followed by a large zipped pocket and a funky lining!

All assembled and enjoying the sunshine!

Fingers crossed for a good grade!!

Folksy Friday-Toys!

I had a lovely time on Tuesday at my neighbours house-she runs a little sewing group from her home which involves making things to sell for charity or occasionally something for yourself. This week it was just something for yourself, so out came a lovely book with some cute little characters to make. I'm not that well practised in following a pattern for sewing as I plan and design my own, so they are in my own words if you know what I mean? Undeterred, I set to my task whilst drinking some yummy decaf coffee and munching on some scrumptious cakes and biscuits (no figure watching whilst growing a baby!). A few hours later and this was the fruits of my labour!

This led me to wonder what lovely handmade toys could I find on Folksy?

These are from Valjadesign and are so pretty! 

This lovely ball is from Doozer Toyz-I love it!

These crayons are fantastic from Shuffle Cake-perfect for your budding artist!

And of course something to cuddle, like this owl from Sketchstitch

All of these toys are available from talented designers on Folksy

Gardening and sunshine.

Once upon a time when I bought my new-build house (about 4 years ago...) I was pleasantly surprised to find it had a large garden (50ft x over 60ft is big for a new build! Plus a 20ft front garden!). I have always loved gardens and with my Mothers guidance I embarked upon planting and landscaping. I had very little money, so most of it was grown by mine and my girls own love and care from seeds and tiny plug plants (far cheaper than buying established plants!).
Two years ago we decided to rent our house out as my Mum became very ill with lung cancer and as she lived directly opposite we felt it better to be somewhere else locally to relieve some pressure off our girls. Now unfortunately our tenants weren't garden lovers....
Last October the pull for my own house became too strong, especially as we were living in a rotting and damp smelly house! I yearned for my lovely home and we decided to go back.
How wonderful this Easter then to have such gorgeous weather and the time together to really go for it in our garden! James has worked amazingly hard-especially as plants and gardening are not really his interest-but he has indulged me and helped me as I am 7 months pregnant and lacking in dexterity and stamina at the moment! The girls have been amazing at weeding too.

I think we still have several days worth of work to go to clear the weeds and grass from the flower beds, but the removal of brambles (half of them are in James' hands and arms...) and the tidying of trees and shrubs has made a major difference!

Here James has finally got to the last bit of our old Cornish stone wall which was overgrown level with his head with grass and brambles and goodness knows what else!

     Here is just one of the piles of weeds and brambles and plant prunings....

           An almost cleared bed and some pruned plants-hope they survive!

                                            James building his herb planter!

The finished and planted up herb box-just needs some more slate chippings and some gorgeous chives.

Heres hoping that this lovely weather continues and that our flowers, herbs and vegetables grow well this year!

Cornwall, cream teas and campervans...

Now I am a massive fan of all three!

 I am lucky enough to live in beautiful Cornwall where the landscapes are wonderful, the beaches are close, the ice cream is delicious and I can have a cream tea whenever I wish with lots of Cornish clotted cream (which I indulge in all too often...)

I'm also lucky enough to own a VW Campervan-but unfortunately we are not rich enough to own a split screen!

If we were we would own one just like this! Beautiful!

However ours is still handsome and just a little bit younger, being a 1976 Type 2.She is called 'Merle' (as it was my Mothers middle name-tee hee!) and she is cream and white. She is lovely but I cannot put up any photos of her just yet as she is in a dry storage facility being slowly and lovingly worked on by my lovely James-when the day comes for her to emerge she will adorn this page often...!

So this morning, with Cornwall, Cornish cream teas and VW Campers on my mind, I set to work to create a lovely and inspired tea cosy! She is available in my Folksy shop-just click on the link below for more details.

Campervan Tea Cosy

It just seemed fitting for it to be as retro-styled as possible! What do you think?

Photographing and adding new items to my shop-eek!

Today (despite the awful grey weather) I decided to go for it on my own and take some photos of the things I have been making so that I could list them in my shop. Sounds relatively simple? It's never simple with me!!

 The weather really is awful today, so I have trotted around my house trying to find a good spot with some natural light. Not entirely sure how successful I was, but I picked a spot and started taking some pics. Then of course my battery went on my camera! So whilst it charged I thought I'd put some eggs on to boil for my lunch (trying to eat good proteins for baby).
Being a relativley impatient person when it comes to getting things done I did try to sneak a few photos inbetween chargings! I was all engrossed in attempting to create beautiful photos to show off my work and guess what? Yup, I forgot about my eggs boiling merrily away! Never mind-egg sandwiches are just as yummy as a dippy egg and soldiers! At least I managed to list a few items today....

 

'Mia' shoulder-bag

 

Cassandra hand bag

  

Spotty-Dotty shoulder bag

Would love to know what you think!

A kitchen theme...First 'Folksy Friday'!

I've had a funny week this week, filled with late pregnancy issues that have made it difficult for me to sit or walk with so much hip pain! However, being me I have slowly soldiered on....!
We decided we would paint the dresser top as it was so dark and the wash on it kept 'washing' off on to our belongings! I think it's looking better, but may need another coat and some distressing to make it really show off!

Then I set to making my Mother-in-Law a little extra present for her 60th Birthday which I had started at the sewing group I go to. I really love it! Just wish I could commit myself to making my own tea cosy, but I cannot decide on a design!

Which led me to thinking, if I had the money (I wish!) what lovely handmade items could I find to fill our dresser top? I turned to Folksy for a bit of dreaming and committed myself to my first ever 'Folksy Friday'...

http://www.folksy.com/items/256325

These gorgeous personalised egg cosies from 'Tiddely Pom' would be fab on the dresser-one for each of us!

http://www.folksy.com/items/130834

These lovely cards by 'Lucy Player Graphic Design' would look lovely in frames dotted about!

http://www.folksy.com/items/335637

This beautiful spotty pouring bowl by 'Penny Spooner Ceramics' is already in my favourites....

http://www.folksy.com/items/317393
And of course for my chef of a husband this beautiful pestal and mortar from 'Bodrighy Wood' would keep him very happy!

http://www.folksy.com/items/262457

Now I'm pretty certain I could never put a pot on this delightful pot stand by 'forestpoppy', but it would look lovely hanging on a decorative hook on the dresser!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my first Folksy Friday and hope I have inspired some kitchen love!

The joy of second hand furniture and personalising things!

My lovely man has the same tastes as me, so shopping for our home is hardly ever an issue  if we can afford it (unless we both want everything we see and love as there is no one to curb the other one!). We both love real wood and old furniture, and as our home needs a bit more storage with our girls growing and our new baby coming we had to go and get some new chests for our bedroom. That was meant to be it....

However, how could we resist this? It's a lovely old cheesebox and just so pretty! It looks lovely next to our free rocking chair (which I have yet to make a seat pad for...)

Now I had said to James that we didn't need anything else, however, he gave me his boyish grin and took my hand and led me round the corner of this lovely shop to show me a huge dresser top! Last week we bought a dresser top for the kitchen, but as he rightly pointed out, that one was small enough to fill the dining room wall once painted (it's currently burgandy...) and would be perfect for making the dining room look lovely and homely. Whereas this big and imposing beast would better suit our kitchen-so I agreed...

 Now James is slightly impatient, so the dresser top is already up before we have decided whether to leave it as it is or to sand it down and paint some of it. What do you reckon?

 Now all we have to do is resist going back for the old captains chair and a hall lamp table...!