forestpoppy

Snug as a bug in a ....peapod carrier!

2012-02-06T19:45:00.000Z

This afternoon was beautiful - crispy and bright, just about perfect weather (although we are all rather miffed to be missing the snow that seems to be everywhere 'down south'). I had Finn at home today with an upset tummy (but not very unwell), my niece who, as it turned out, also had an upset tummy, and Katie with a chest infection (and, understandably, a bit grouchy). By early afternoon it seemed like a very good idea to get us all outside for a bit of fresh air - and also for my sanity!

I put Katie into her new Pea Pod Carrier which I made a couple of weeks ago. I have attempted to photograph her in it myself, very unsuccessfully, so I asked Finn to take some photos. I'm quite surprised at how well he did as this is his first attempt at using the camera - I guess it is a testament to a good quality digital SLR that a, fairly uninterested, 9 year can take reasonable photos with it - I find it a little sad too, he wouldn't have been able to do that with my beloved old manual SLR. We did have an incident right at the beginning where he smeared his fingers all over the lens (but, shhh, as long as we don't tell John we'll be fine).

I have been using the carrier in the afternoons when picking up the older children from school. Katie really enjoys seeing what is going on around her and the design allows me to see and speak to her. Our front carrier is probably better for longer walks but doesn't give the same opportunity for interacting.

I used this tutorial by Sascha Romeo of Piccoli Piselli. I came across it while blog hopping a while ago and then remembered that Jo from A Life In Lists had made one sometime last year. A search on her blog found her beautiful one, which was very handy as she had a link to the shop (a horsewear supplier) that she bought the buckles from. I took the easy option and went straight there to buy mine - and bought a large clip too so I can carry a little zip purse to put my keys and phone into.....or Katie could bring a toy too if she didn't have to have her hands hidden away from the cold.

The pattern is incredibly easy and it came together satisfyingly quickly. The only modification I made was to widen the shoulder strap (I made it six inches grading out to 4 inches, the pattern size, at the ends). I used corduroy for the lining and straps. I have a bit of a love of corduroy - I think it is the texture and softness of a good quality cord that I like. It came from Dragonfly Fabrics as did the main fox and bunny fabric (really fast and beautifully wrapped). I found the foxes and bunnies while searching for the corduroy and completely fell for it. Such a sweet print. Both the cord and print are by Westfalenstoffe.

Because the corduroy is a little thinner than some of the fabrics suggested for the lining I doubled up the recommended layers of interfacing - it seems to have worked and hasn't caused any problems.

We had a lovely time in the Secret Garden (even though it was probably getting on for 20 degrees colder than this visit.......running along the walls is irresistible for me too).

We spotted crocus, aconite and snowdrop. I did discover one downside of the carrier, it isn't easy to take pictures of flowers at ground level - so I'm afraid I don't have any photographic evidence of these signs of spring. We did, however, come across a flowering Cornus mas (Cornelian Cherry). It's flowers were at eye level and much easier to deal with. In many ways I think they are probably far prettier than the spring bulbs which, while lovely, are much more gaudy and less subtle.

I hope you, wherever you are (unless it is in the southern hemisphere, of course), are enjoying spotting a few signs of spring too. Or perhaps you are lucky enough to have some snow - boo hiss.

Blooming bloomers

2012-02-05T01:47:00.000Z

Dreadful title but I couldn't resist. Sorry.

Blooming bloomers

I managed to get a little sewing time last weekend and finished off Katie's bloomers. The left-hand pair will be worn under the dress I must make for Nat's wedding (see this post) and the others were just for fun. Because it is a really quick, fun, simple pattern.....and I think they look very cute.........probably even better with a pudgy little baby in them once it is warm enough.

The pattern is from Heather Ross 'Weekend Sewing' - Ruby's Bloomers. The book has some pretty good patterns, I made the Everything Tote (a big slouchy bag) almost 3 years ago now when I first got back into sewing - at the stage I was still learning a lot every time I sewed anything (I'm still learning most of the time now too, but some things are getting to be second nature). The Everything Tote worked out really well even though it was possibly a little ambitious for me at that stage but I seem to remember there was a mistake in the measurements somewhere which I managed to spot and correct - it would be worth checking the errata on-line if you plan to make it.

Fabric, from left to right:: 1. Sarah Jane, Children at Play - Meadow in Soft Pink (from Eclectic Maker), 2. Hanky weight linen from fabric.com, bought a couple of years ago, 3. AMH voile, probably from M is for Make 4. red gingham (bought for Islay's school uniform), I think from Raystitch.

Stars for Marg

I've been planning to write the rest of this post for some time and these blocks were sent off ages ago.

They were made for for Marg. She has the last month for our Fresh and Funky Bee (I must show a photo of all the wonderful blocks I received for my month....and eventually the quilt I intend to make with them). Marg has had an incredibly busy year but was dedicated enough to stick with the bee and complete blocks for everyone else. When it came to her month she didn't have the time to decide on a block and choose and send out fabric and suggested not doing anything. That just wasn't right so I suggested that we each make her blocks with our own fabric and send them off to her. We agreed on stars on white or cream - any size block and any size star as Marg will sash them up to standard size and make herself a star quilt. Which is very appropriate as she is a star herself!

Cosy Katie trousers

And these trousers are for Katie (made with flannel left over from this jacket I made for Islay). The pattern came from Meg McElwee's 'Growing Up Sew Liberated'. The pattern is for double-sided reversible trousers but I thought double flannel would be too warm for the summer which is when they should fit her. It was easy to adapt them to single-sided.

Very skinny feet and long toes!

And this is what happened when I asked Islay to show how twirly her new skirt is.

The yucca is no longer - thanks Lily kitten and her pesky teeth!

Way too much twirling and a very dizzy girl.

Oops

The skirt is a full width piece of linen (bought from Manda about a year ago) and I made a deep shirred waist-band (rather like on this skirt I made for myself) I also off-set the pockets just for fun but I'm not sure if they really work like that. Not that you can really tell with these photos!

Making winter - comfort cooking

2012-01-31T14:05:00.000Z

I think this post may just about sneak into this month's making winter week - by the skin of it's teeth. Emma at Silverpebble is hosting it this time. I haven't checked out all the posts yet but know there will be some wonderful ones so do take a look if you have a chance.

I had been planning to post about baking this time as it seems to me to be one of the ultimate ways of making winter, and really any time of year, extra good fun. And, by coincidence (or perhaps thinking along the same wavelength), Emma has asked for recipes that she will try to compile together in Baking Winter resource.

At the beginning of last week I made one of my favourite, and very very simple, biscuit recipes. I have it written down on a scrap of paper headed 'K'aldy Grannie's chocolate biscuits' and I can clearly remember the first time she made them - I was about 12 I think. K'aldy Grannie lived in Kircaldy when I was little and I used to refer to talk about visiting Grannie in K'aldy and, since I am her eldest grandchild, the name has stuck ever since. My other grannie was Grandad's Grannie as she belonged with grandad (my other grandad sadly died long before I was born).

For K'aldy Grannie's chocolate biscuits you will need::

175g butter

100g caster sugar

200g plain flour

25g cocoa

1 pinch salt

about 75g chocolate to decorate

Cream the butter and sugar until nice and soft. Then sift in the flour, cocoa and salt. Blend in the flour mix and work until you have a smooth dough.

Roll the dough into two sausage shapes and cool in the fridge for at least an half an hour.

Cut into around 20 rounds (and try not to eat too much dough at the same time - very tricky, it is incredibly yummy.........or maybe it isn't and I'm just weird!) and lay out onto a large lined or greased baking tray.

Cook at 160 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray.

Melt your chocolate - I take the easy route and do it in the microwave. Give the chocolate a good stir and spread onto the biscuits.

This time I added some sprinkles on top for extra prettiness. And I need to thank my niece for her help - with the baking and with cleaning the chocolate bowl....I did suggest to her that a spoon would be a good idea but she preferred to dive in with her fingers!

This next recipe is also very simple but definitely wouldn't win any prizes for sophistication. However it is tasty and, in my experience, always works.

For Banana Chocolate Chunk Cake* you will need::

2 large very ripe bananas**
1/2 tsp vanilla
175g butter
225g granulated sugar
275g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
3 eggs - beaten
100g chocolate - chopped

Peel and mash ( I use a potato masher, but a fork would work too) the bananas with the vanilla.

Gently heat the butter and sugar in a saucepan until melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Sift in the flour and bicarb of soda. Beat in the eggs and mashed banana. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Pour the mixture into two 8 inch lined sandwich tins and cook at 170 degrees for around 35 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Sandwich together with cream and sliced banana - and eat, it doesn't keep all that well. It makes a yummy pudding.

* Sorry for the lack of photos, I did make it on Saturday as a pudding for lunch with friends but completely forgot to take any pictures.
** I freeze bananas (in a plastic bag or box, after removing the skins) when they get over-ripe and then just take out the appropriate number a couple of hours before baking.

On a completely different note I was delighted to find a copy of All That Katy Did in a local charity shop recently. I have been thinking that Islay would probably like the What Katy Did books in a little while so it was great to find them all in one. And I picked up a couple more too that I think the boys will like. Islay isn't really reading by herself yet (although she loves being read to and looking at books) but the boys are voracious readers and I'm always on the look-out for new books for them.

I hope January has been good to you all. See you in February!

She has her uses

2012-01-25T14:01:00.000Z

I decided it was about time I put Katie to work. I've been drafting up dribble bandanas (what a terrible name - is there a better one?) and bibs and she has been working very hard testing them out for me.

The conclusion? The bandanas need to be longer so there's more room for growth around the neck (not that all babies are as chubby as Katie of course!) but the bib shape seems pretty good.

But that's where I start to get unsure - just because I like nice wide rounded bibs doesn't mean other people will......I guess the only way I can find out is to make some up and see what happens.

One other detail has been making me rather undecided. What to fasten them with? I've gone for velcro in these test ones as I, personally, find it easier with a squirmy baby and am happier to feel that they'll come undone if pressure is applied - I think velcro does come apart more easily than poppers. I know it's unlikely to be a problem but I prefer to be on the safe side. I think they can be more adjustable too if there's a reasonable length of velcro. Then there's the question of the velcro itself, the stuff I have found so far is quite stiff and potentially scratchy. Well, only one side is and if that's put onto the right side of the bib and the softer bit sewn onto the wrong side the stiffer side won't come into contact with the baby (makes sense to me if not to you!) - and I've found that if I cut the edges round rather than square that helps too and it creates a neater stitch line on the reverse.

I'd love to know your thoughts, if you have any that is, on the pros and cons of bib fastening mechanisms!

I plan to back them in the unbleached cotton flannel that I use on some of my baby quilts - it is lovely and soft and hard wearing too. The bibs that Katie is modelling have been washed a few times now, to test them out, and I'm really pleased that they will be tough and easy to look after. The question of what to make them out of is also tricky. And it is ever so tempting to buy more fabric. But I'm determined not to do that and think I'll make just a whole variety from the fabric I already have - some bright and some more muted. That way I'll also get more of a feel for what people may and may not like.

Now all I need to do is make enough to sell (along with lots of other things, but I'm working on a deadline towards the end of the year so don't need to panic yet).

I do however have a deadline for other sewing projects. By mid-March I need to have finished the following (I'll give fabric and pattern details for each once they are finished and ready for showing off)::

1. Dress, bloomers and bonnet for Katie (for my fabby cousin's wedding - which I'm very exited about, but possibly not as much as bridesmaid Islay!)

The bloomers are actually part made (along with three others in the hope that we have a nice warm summer) - I have been delayed by a lack of waist elastic but bought some from my local sewing shop yesterday.

2. A dress for me to wear to the same wedding. I think I have decided on the fabric to use. But it is expensive especially since I think I'll make the full length version of this dress - mind you, I hope it should give me many years of wear. And I will make a muslin first to check the fit - can I get away with just making the bodice and attaching a short length of skirt? Can anyone who knows what they are doing (unlike me) advise me on this? *There's a very good reason for choosing this pattern, as well as liking it of course, which I'll explain below.

3. Make the quilt for our sofa - I'm already behind since most people in the quilt along seem to have cut and started piecing already. Oh well.

4. Make some baby clothes for a friend's baby - thankfully it isn't born yet.

5. Ask Nat if she'd like me to make her something as a wedding present. She's the big sister of my lovely cousin Al, who was married almost two years ago, and who I made a picnic blanket for.

6. I'd really like to make Islay this Sunki tunic but it can wait until everything else is finished.

So, I wonder whether I'll manage? I remember having a list a bit like this for Al's wedding and managed it all (well, their present was a little late but I reckoned it was more important that I turned up in a completed dress).

Anyone who has been up in the night feeding a baby will appreciate the irony of the situation I found myself in last night. Katie has been sleeping pretty badly and although I am only feeding her twice through the night (she is 4 1/2 months and definitely not malnourished....she could live on her cheeks alone for a week or two!) she has been waking up several more times - she goes back to sleep fairly well but it all takes time and effort and cuts in to my very precious sleep time. Anyway, last night I woke up just before 1am, by which time most nights recently she would have been awake 2 or 3 times and I'd usually have fed her some time between 12 midnight and 1am, but she was sound asleep. Yay.....except that I had far too much milk and couldn't get back to sleep. I lay there, very sore, for another hour or so until she woke up. So, the one night for weeks that she slept really well and I lay there wide awake and unable to sleep. I can't begin to describe how annoying it was! But I'm very hopeful that it is a sign she is going to improve a bit from now on (it is too soul destroying to think anything else!).

* Why does this pattern appeal to me? It has straps that tie at the back so I should be able to feed Katie fairly easily by loosening the straps (may need to make a shawl too). And why do I think this is important? Because when Angus was a baby I went to another cousin's little boy's christening in a lovely dress. And only realised, as his feed time approached, that I had no way of feeding him without removing the dress. Luckily for me, and everyone else, the hotel where we had the post-service meal was quite smart and had lovely clean toilets. There was even a chair in the corner that I could sit on. It is quite bizarre to chat to your female relatives while sitting in your bra and pants in a hotel loo! I remember having a dilemma whether it would be better to leave my shoes on or not and can't now remember what I decided was best. So, there you go, I have learnt my lesson.

Long week with some very good bits

2012-01-19T13:50:00.000Z

Last week was a tough one and so this week I've been playing catch up. Last Monday I started getting achy and shivery and went to bed with a jumper, socks and hot water bottle.......only to shed them, and the bed-covers, a few hours later as I hit a hot spell. The rest of the week followed suit and became quite a struggle just to keep things ticking over. I was still feeling dreadful on Friday and went to the doctor in the hope that I had something bacterial and be able to have some antibiotics - but no, the doctor reckoned I had flu and told me to go to bed (and that I should have been all week - easy for her to say!). Anyhow John came home a short while later and was brilliant all weekend giving me as much time as possible to rest and sleep.

Birthday fabric

It feels like a dreadful waste to have done so little all weekend but it does mean that I'm feeling loads better now. Sunday was my birthday (next year will be quite a big no. - 40!). It was rather an odd one but lovely nonetheless. I was given some great presents and lots of cuddles and checks from the children who were very anxious that I had a good day. They kept asking if I was having fun which was very sweet! And Finn was concerned about the lack of a birthday cake for me. I just said I didn't want one this year - rather than explaining to him that cake baking was the last thing I felt like doing.

The fabric above is from my brothers (AMH flannel from M is for Make and solids from Backstitch). I have wanted to make a quilt for our sitting room for ages but haven't felt I could justify the expense so I'm very excited to have this delicious stack to cut into. I've just joined the Made in Cherry Quilt Along (hosted by Pins and Bobbins). This will be a little different from my usual squares and rectangles and the pattern and finished effect really appeals to me - while I admire the quilts that other people make, and especially the skill involved, they are often too intricate or fussy for my personal taste but this one is very exciting. I doubt I'll be able to keep up with the quilt along properly but I don't suppose that really matters.

Sarah Fielke's Made in Cherry from the Lecien Website

I was also given some lovely books. They will be thoroughly enjoyed. I love books - pretty much any, and John is the same so we have masses of books with very varying subject matter. The Colette Sewing Handbook has been, subtly, sitting in my Amazon wish list for quite a while now. I'd love to learn more about garment sewing and, from the reviews I have read, this seems like an ideal place to start - I don't imagine I'll ever be able to completely design my own clothes. I'd just like to be able to master the main clothes sewing skills and techniques properly and to be able to make pattern adjustments if the fit isn't good. It is likely that I will only refer to things like sleeve setting and making proper gathers for the next year or two and then advance onto the more technical stuff once I have a little more time.

Birthday books

I treated myself to three little post of Muscari and I'm enjoying watching them come out.

Lily is a great help when taking photos.

One of my favourite presents was a copy of a photo book my dad made for my Grannie's Christmas. She's 92 now and, as I have mentioned a few times I think, has dementia but she still loves looking at photos. I think, also, that dad wanted to get the best ones permanently stored and the main details of her life recorded. It is so good to have a copy - she has led such an interesting and eventful, sometimes stressful, life.

Her dad had a saddler's shop in Boston (UK, not USA!) and she had 8 big sisters, she was the baby of the family. She is the only one left alive now.

She was in the RAF during WWII and served in India and Burma, meeting my Grandad on the troop ship out there. They got engaged after 9 days and were married in Calcutta while on leave.

I think that had better be all for now as I really should be getting back to cooking some food and Katie will be hungry soon. ..............I've just run downstairs because I heard a crash..........Lily has knocked off a hand-blown glass bowl, from Australia, that we were given as a wedding present....it's broken and I'm feeling rather cross.....oh well.

Not enough, or too much, time?

2012-01-12T12:33:00.001Z

I'm not sure where I first saw The Fat Quarter Shop Bloggers Choice competition, which is hosted by Quokka Quilts, but it has gradually been seeping into my rather addled brain as a Good Thing ( I do remember seeing it on Sarah's blog (Narcoleptic in a cupboard) ages ago - Sarah is well worth visiting, she always makes me laugh). The winners (three lucky people) will each get a half yard of all 15 of their chosen fabrics - 12 prints and 3 solids. Now wouldn't that be a great way to start the year?

Quite why I'm encouraging yet more ~~competition~~people to enter I don't know, but there you go....just be warned you could ~~waste~~use rather a lot of time on this. I realised this early on and set myself a limit of 30 minutes for selecting the fabric....which I did stick to although I could easily have spent much much longer, but it kind of fell apart after that because mosaic making is rather new to me and it ate up a fair bit of time too (but maybe I'll be quicker next time I need to make a mosaic....trying to convince myself I didn't use up lots of precious time last night, don't you think?!).

And here is my pick of gorgeous fabric (not the mosaic layout I'd have liked but, guess what, sorting it would have taken yet more time)::

1. FolkHeart-30393-30-200[1], 2. Woodland-30406-10-200[1], 3. FlowSugSpring11-30284-10-200[1], 4. FolkHeart-30397-61-200[1], 5. PearTree-5555-B-200[1], 6. OUTFOXED-5571-E-200[1], 7. OUTFOXED-5573-E-200[1], 8. Smitten-Y0856-1-200[1], 9. SugarHill-PWTW045-REDXX-200[1], 10. Taza-DF109-FUCHS-200[1], 11. ChildrenatPlay-5142-CREAM-200[1], 12. SugarHill-PWTW047-WHITE-200[1], 13. Kona-K001-1308-200[1], 14. Kona-K001-261-200[1], 15. Kona-K001-1282-200[1]

The linkys don't work for some reason.....but they do show The Fat Quarter Shop reference number and name. Judges IF (and I know I'm dreaming here, but dreaming is good) the only thing holding you back from making me a winner is the linky problem I PROMISE I'll work it out.

Anyway, enough silliness, this was fun and dreaming doesn't do any harm (I hope). Why don't you give it a go (just watch the time!)?

Slow start

2012-01-09T12:50:00.001Z

I'd like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year - I do hope 2012 is happy and healthy for all. We have had such a lovely long holiday and slow start to the New Year. It has been so good for us all to just take some time off and enjoy family time. I did intend to do lots of blogging but somehow that didn't happen. Tomorrow life goes back to it's more usual pattern with Finn, Angus and Islay at school - and that will be good too...for them and me! I guess, after a while, a little more structure to the day doesn't do any harm.

We started 2012 with a New Year's Day beach picnic. The sun was out, and if you ignored the quite cold and very strong wind, it was perfect for a picnic. We went to our old haunt Seacliff and were a bit miffed to see that so many other people had the same idea (although I think it probably wasn't all that busy we just felt it was since it's normally pretty well deserted).

We cooked sausages, beans and hot chocolate to keep the cold out

I have so much I'd like to do this year. I guess the most important thing is to enjoy my family - which shouldn't be too much of a challenge. In between doing that, and having a fun couple of days each week with my niece and nephew (they are ski-ing this week so I'm enjoying a little break today and tomorrow and will be all refreshed for them next week), I have sewing plans that are probably waaaaaay to ambitious for the amount of time I'm likely to have.

I'm working on a simple website at create.net at the moment and my domain name should be transferring as we speak. For the next wee while I'm just going to have it set up to take commissions (I haven't decided yet whether to take folksy off holiday mode and do the same with it or not) - don't know how much interest I'll get but with commissions I can control the workload and say no if I need to. But I'd like to have it up and running properly with ready made items too at some stage. And I have so many clothes I'd like to sew for myself and the girls (sorry boys!), especially dresses for me and Katie to wear to a wedding in April. Islay is going to be a bridesmaid, the most excited one ever, so I don't need to make her anything - phew! And I'd like to aim to attend at least one craft fair at the end of this year (I have my eye on one which is local and has proper hand-made sellers rather than many fairs which don't really have proper hand-crafted goods) - my, very organised and so rather unlikely, plan is to make things for this throughout the year so that I have stock building up steadily. And anything that doesn't sell can then go online to my website or folksy. See - I have it all planned out, only this time next year will tell whether I've got anywhere close to achieving any of it!

Long shadows

And they are just my sewing plans but there's so many other ambitions too - I think I'll just keep them to myself for now as I'm probably planning far above a realistic goal. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing as long as I don't let them get on top of me and just keep all my many ideas as positive things to aim for - after all I'm bound to achieve some of them even if it is only one or two!

Where have my hands gone?

And finally the world's happiest little girl. She really is such a cheery little person it's such a delight to have her as part of our family. I bumped into one of Islay's old nursery teachers the other day and, having just had her second baby, she was talking about how it is inevitable that subsequent babies cry more - but that really isn't the case with Katie, she enjoys life so much and is usually only unhappy if she's extremely hungry or tired (or if someone pokes her in the eye or sits on her - which is a hazard with three bigger siblings and cousins who spend time here too!). John and I quite often catch ourselves grinning at each other, especially when we're sitting down at meal times (that's if everyone is eating and not fussing about the vegetables (Angus) or meat (Islay)), as we realise how lucky we are to have our family of six.

Making winter - lip salve and throat lozenges

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000Z

Mrs Thrifty Household and Silverpebble are holding their Making Winter December week just now and I wanted to join in again.

I've been thinking about what winter means for me. As I've said before I quite like winter time but I do really dislike dry cold hands and lips and the dreaded sore throats and sniffles that tend to come with the colder months.

So I thought I'd have a go at making some solutions. I remembered seeing a tutorial on Soulemama for peppermint lip balm - you'll find it in the tutorial section.

I tracked down all the ingredients::

:: beeswax (I had a little already but needed a bit more) -from Honeyshop

:: honey - I was disorganised and didn't but local honey - which annoys me now

:: coconut oil - from our local whole food shop

:: peppermint essential oil - from our local herbalist (a wonderful place, I love it in there!)

:: containers - from mini food (an etsy seller)

:: labels - from rikyandnina (another etsy seller)

Then I just launched straight into it. I had intended to make this a family activity with Islay and the boys, if they were interested, but was running short of time (and thought it would be more likely to work, especially first time if I did it without them!).

The tutorial is very straightforward. Melting beeswax smells delicious, really warm and soothing. The only part I found a little tricky was cooling the mixture down to the right consistency to get it into my little containers - it very quickly got too thick.....but putting the bowl back over the pan of hot water softened it again so it was easy to fix.

The lip salve really seems to work too so I think I'd mark it down as a success. I'll be using it as part of teacher presents and so on. One thing I'd do differently another time is to reduce the amount of peppermint oil. Its a little too strong I think. I also wonder if there's another essential oil that would be nice to add, or maybe even a mixture?

I also wanted to try making throat lozenges. The recipe came from Soulemama again in her latest book The Rythm of Family (it is actually a contribution from Amy Karol - Angry Chicken). This time I needed to track down::

:: slippery elm powder - from the local herbalist

:: honey -still supermarket stuff I'm afraid

:: mint tea - I had some as I drink it occasionally anyway

The end result isn't very beautiful and since none of us has a sore throat (tempting fate to say that I suspect!) I have no idea if they help. But I guess they will and they were fun to make. The recipe suggests rolling the dough out thinly and then cutting little rounds with a small bottle top. I kept clogging the top with the dough and was getting into a right old mess. So I just cut little bits off and rolled them into approximate balls - not so pretty but it worked!

Katie (12 weeks)

There was another couple of ingredients to manage that made life easier too...Katie sleeping and my nephew happily occupied with garage and cars!

Katie (13 weeks)

Happy nephew

A winter birthday

2011-12-12T01:10:00.001Z

We decided to brave the elements for Islay's fifth birthday and take six of her little friends for a winter walk and explore.

I was a little nervous as we didn't know them all (some she's met since starting school) and I just hoped they'd all like being outside and dress up warmly enough.

Well, they loved it. We had seven very happy little girls (plus two slightly bemused bigger boys and a sleeping Katie in the papoose). They ran around, climbed, jumped and generally just did what little people should do.

We stopped part way and made a little fire. A LOT of marshmallows were eaten and hot chocolate was slurped.

In the end we had to hurry them back to the house to have time to eat some party food - but obviously that was a very good sign.

John and I really enjoyed ourselves too. Its great to see wee ones having fun and to know that Islay is making friends with such lovely girls.

We were lucky that it wasn't wet but it was cold and windy. We had asked everyone to be dressed warmly and they all were. Kids seem to be good at coping with most weathers as long as they are well-dressed. So, what will we do next year? No idea!

Youngest and smallest

2011-12-05T14:47:00.001Z

Finn and Katie (11 weeks)

The two youngest members of our house may also be the smallest but they command the lion's share of the attention (mind you, Katie is doing her very best to grow out of the 'smallest' category as fast as possible!).

Angus and Lily

We've just had a very busy but most lovely weekend. Fifth birthday party for Islay. Grown-up party for me and John. Mini rugby Christmas party for all three older children. Brilliant.

I have so many things I want to blog about. I may be here more than once this week - then again I may not....the tree needs decorating, as does the house, Christmas gifts need making and wrapping, dogs need walking, family needs feeding, homework needs finishing........but I will try!

I hope everyone else had such a lovely weekend too. Juliexxx

Happy Mail Day

2011-12-05T14:24:00.001Z

I received a very impatiently awaited parcel on Saturday. The note with it said Happy Mail Day - and it certainly was!

When Katie was born my lovely friend Justine of Sew Justine Sew asked for our address (which I gave on condition she gives me hers once her baby is born in the new year). She also very kindly offered to buy me some knit and linen fabric from a shop local to her.

I have been keeping a keen eye one her blog.....and a week or so ago I spotted the most gorgeous pair of little girl trousers and I crossed my fingers hoping they might be for Katie. And, yay, they were! And a beautiful bib too. She is a very lucky little girl.

And I'm a lucky big girl - here's my fabric (4 metres I think - for the grand sum of £18 - I do wish there was a shop like that near here, but perhaps its best there isn't!).

So - Justine - thank you so much. I loved my parcel and Katie will look so cute in her little trousers and bib in the spring. What can I say? A very lovely friend and a very happy mail day.

Bits and pieces

2011-11-21T17:07:00.001Z

I'm afraid this is going to be a mish-mash of bits and pieces. Its either that or nothing and I guess its marginally better than nothing! One day I may manage to be properly coherent. I was going to say coherent again but I think that is making unrealistic assumptions about my past blogging habits.

We have had the most lovely weather recently. Not the proper weather for this time of year - it has been mild and some days beautifully sunny with such soft light.

I suddenly remembered I had never shown the pot mats I made over the summer. I think that was an unintentional intentional slip of the mind because I am slightly embarrassed about the first two I made. But then I thought, really, I should own up.
We had lovely new wooden surfaces put into our kitchen in the spring (its amazing what new surfaces, and a working cooker, can do for a small not hugely practical kitchen) - and I got very protective of them so decided to make some pot stands. I also thought I'd practice some different quilting and machine sew on the bindings.
I tried covering the feed dogs on my machine (they don't lower) but couldn't get the hang of moving things through the machine so I just made things up and went with the motion the feed dogs create. The big blue mat was the first time I'd tried a sort of stippling effect and I quite like it - sorry, its not all that clear in this photo, I'll need to try again with something bigger and be brave and have another go with the feed dogs down. I just used up odd bits of batting so they have all come out different thicknesses and shrinkages.
The binding on the two greyish ones is a disaster - I thought machine binding would be quicker and potentially neater - well, potentially it may be neater but not when I do it! I think I made the binding way too wide but even taking that into account it is a dreadful mess. The two blue ones were done 'properly' and handsewn at the back - much neater even if not quicker.
So, rather a long saga to explain my four pot stands! But they do get used a lot and there's nearly always one in the wash....in fact don't look too closely at the big grey one as it should have had a wash before the photo was taken.
Katie and I had another visit to my Grannie, her Great Grannie, and the pair of them had a lovely time chatting to each other. I think I have mentioned before that Grannie has dementia. She's not really the person she once was and doesn't remember much more than her very closest relatives and even then gets very muddled but one thing she hasn't lost is her love of small babies. I think she'd have held and talked to Katie all day. It was so good to see her like that and for a short while it was like having the real person back again.

And here's my cheeky little Katie at 10 weeks. I will calm down on the photos of her eventually, I promise, but its such a good way to have a record of her and how she's changing.

And with her, equally cheeky, and very proud big sister.

So, there's probably lots more I should be saying but I think that will be it. I am missing sewing so much just now but its really not happening. My evenings are almost non-existent. I generally finish feeding Katie around 7.30pm but since I'm still up a couple of times, at least, each night to feed her and up for the morning guddle at around 6.30am (if Katie hasn't decided the day should start earlier) I have to head to bed not long after I've sorted out all the odd jobs that still need doing after she's in bed. Oh well. I've been trying to make Islay an elastic waisted skirt for the past fortnight and it still isn't finished. I have been experimenting with shirring and have discovered it is a b***** to unpick so that hasn't helped- but still, it is rather slow progress!

Hope everyone is well and enjoying the non-November weather.

An accidental addition

2011-11-10T17:13:00.000Z

I've been finding answering the 'what did you do at the weekend?' question a little embarrassing this week. Why? Well, because we made an accidental addition to the family - a very welcome one but not a planned or entirely sane one. No, I'm not pregnant, that really would be crazy! She - Lily - is an 11 week old kitten.

Lily

Shall I try to explain (and try desperately not to sound mad, as if 4 children, one of whom is a baby, 1 (or 2 for half the year) dog, 1 cat and a rabbit wasn't enough. But actually a kitten in the mix really makes little difference). So, a few weeks ago our lovely Nessie died. She was old and not well but it was a horrible decision to make. Though actually although I was devastated I found, afterwards, that I was quite relieved too. Does that make sense, I wonder? I think, because she had been a very special little cat who had had a hard start in life and I had rescued her when I lived alone, working in rural Argyll and then Aberdeenshire (Nessie, Murphy - my dog - and I were a little team for 3 or 4 years) the decision that she had come to the end of her life had to be mine and having made it, after knowing it was coming for several weeks and knowing it was the right one, lifted a weight off my shoulders. Very long sentence and not sure you'll understand my logic but that's the way it has worked for me. Strangely I didn't find that quite so much when Murphy came to the end of her life. Perhaps because being the kind of dog she was the hole left was much more noticeable (whereas, Nessie, while very cuddly was quite low-key)? I suppose dogs do also take up more time each day so there's more of a constant reminder that they aren't there.

Pretty Nessie - she did spend most of her life with only one eye but I can't find a good photo to scan

Anyway, where does Lily fit in? We all missed Nessie, especially Charlie-cat. Last week I phoned our local cat rescue to see whether they thought they'd have a suitable cat or kitten for us. I expected them to say no as when I'd contacted them 3 years ago they wouldn't hear of letting us have a cat because we had young children, dog etc. We adopted Charlie from a cat rescue in Fife where they were a little more open-minded and asked us just to wait until they had a relaxed, easy going cat come in - which Charlie is, he's the most laid-back cat you could imagine. Anyhow perhaps the local centre's policy has changed because this time they suggested we came along bringing the children. Which we did on Sunday. I thought that perhaps, if we were lucky, they might have a 2 or 3 years old cat that they'd let us have in a few weeks time.

Me and Murphy

But no, they had Lily who had been in a foster home with young children and a dog and they reckoned would be ideal for us. Now, how can you refuse to home a gorgeous little kitten, especially once your children have seen her? So, we had to borrow one of their travel baskets and rush out to buy kitten food when we go home.

Beautiful Murphy

I had warned the kids that she might hide for a few days and be quite scared and shy. I was completely wrong. She marched out of the basket and took over the house - she is definitely suited to us but most certainly isn't laid back like Charlie! We are loving having her. Especially Angus and Islay who are pretty much constantly in her company when they are home.....and she loves every minute of all the attention she is getting. Charlie is a little shocked by the wee hurricane but is rapidly coming to terms with her too.
And so, we have a new addition to our house and she is very welcome!

And here's the most important baby in our house. Sweet smiley Katie at 8 weeks old.

Some finished sewing

2011-11-02T19:22:00.000Z

I had a number of sewing targets I hoped to meet before Katie was born. The first had to be met, really, since it was a commission.

The Summer Meadow quilt is for a toddler girl. Her mum and I picked out a bright mix of fabrics with lots of interest in them. It has birds, butterflies, foxes, flowers and elephants....in such a happy, summery mix of colours. I guess it would be a challenge to find all those together, especially the elephants, in one meadow - but you never know, especially in the mind of a toddler.

Like most of the quilts I make it is backed in soft unbleached flannel. I love the feel this gives to the quilt. With the bamboo/cotton mix wadding it still stays fairly thin bit it has a definite weight and warmth to it.

Next up were bee blocks. I was way behind on my blocks for the Fresh and Funky Bee and, for my peace of mind as much as anything (my fellow bee members are a lovely patient lot thankfully), I wanted to get up to date.

This first block was for Courtney from Seamstar with a great fabric selection.....but that's not surprising given what's in her shop!

There was an equally lovely fabric selection for the next block - well, strip. Which again wasn't surprising as it was for Jo and Fran from Saints and Pinners.

We're very honoured with our bee members!

And just because I can't resist, and to break up all the sewing, here's something non-sewing. Little Katie peacefully sleeping in my arms (who would have known you could take photos while carrying a sleeping 7 week old?).
I also desperately wanted to make some sleeping gowns for Katie before she was born. I've seen them over the years and thought they looked like a great idea - no poppers for night-time changes. The pattern came from Growing Up Sew Liberated and was pretty straight-forward (actually very, I just had to learn a little as I've never sewn with jersey before - it was pretty okay once I got into the swing of it).

I managed three sleep gowns. They are quite fabric hungry, I found, and I ran out of time and fabric to make any more. They have been used every night since she was born and are much easier for nappy changes.....and look pretty cute and comfy too.

This Blue Skies quilt was commissioned by the same person who commissioned the Summer Meadow quilt - this time for her nephew who is due any day now. It is a little smaller than most I've made as she'd asked for something baby sized. It is a proper quilt however with wadding, flannel back and hand-sewn binding.

As you may have noticed its another bright one! I was quite worried when I'd finished joining the strips, it was just way too much. After some humming and hawing and a few colour 'auditions' I settled on adding the turquoise around the edges. It settles it down a lot (this is settled, honestly, compared to before!) and then the floral feedsack fabric for the edges calms it further and I think/hope ties the colours together quite well.

This was finished at the weekend and posted off yesterday. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to open my folksy shop just yet - I think I may leave it empty and in holiday mode a little longer and do some sewing for Islay and Katie - and I'm just starting to think about the very last block in our bee, so I should probably work on that too.

Winter walking

2011-10-31T13:37:00.000Z

I'm actually a pretty big fan of winter, especially when it is crispy cold and sunny or, even better, snowy. But not everyone feels that way - Emma at Silverpebble and MrsThriftyhousehold are trying to banish the winter blues by holding a Making Winter week at the beginning of each winter month. Mrs Thrifthousehold is cajoling Emma into having fun this winter.....today there's a post about how to make pinecone firelighters which I'm definitely planning to try (I've admired them in shops but not been able to bring myself to spend all that money on a few pinecones)

I thought I'd join in with what makes winter work for us.
And one of the best things, I think, for blowing away winter cobwebs is a walk on the beach.

Beaches don't get muddy unlike pretty much everywhere else (unless of course its a perfect snowy or frosty winter day). Having said that the kids don't tend to come back dry and I'd never take them to the beach in good clothes.........but that's perhaps just my children, they aren't really to be trusted to stay clean and dry anywhere (which is, mostly, fine by me and really what I think they should be like - altho' it would be nice to be able to rest the washing machine every now and then).

This is Gullane beach last Sunday. It was a really overcast with a heavy, threatening sky which, surprisingly, held off the whole time we were out.

I guess its not much good if you don't live near a beach. We're really lucky here in East Lothian, we have loads of wonderful beaches within 10 miles of our house (and we have woods and hills nearby too - its pretty good living here if you like being out).

Sea buckthorn really brightens up the coastline. The orange berries stand out against the silvery muted leaves. They are edible but aren't a favourite with the birds so tend to be around most of the winter unless there's a long hard spell.

The dogs like it too!

Knitting is such a classic wintry activity. Its not really my forte but I am getting better gradually and am persevering and managing to teach myself. I've been using this book to help me with stitches and techniques and it certainly explains things in a way that I can understand (and has some lovely patterns too). I love yarn - when I find some with a texture I like I find it very hard to resist. At the moment (started last winter, I have to confess) I'm working on a little cardigan for Katie - and had better hurry up before she gets too big for it. especially since I'm really not sure what size it will be - gauge etc is a bit beyond me. Its from this book which has some really simple patterns. The hat on the front cover sold it to me - isn't it fabby?.....I have persuaded my mum to make one for Islay for her Christmas! I'm using wool bought from Raystitch - it is Louisa Harding Thistle, a very soft merino/alpaca mix which seems just perfect for baby skin.

I'm dreadful about getting sidetracked and starting new things if (or really 'when' as its always happening) I see something that I like. So, not surprisingly, I have some more gorgeous yarn on the go. This is a Rowan wool/cotton mix which I found in a charity shop. I'm not much of a bargain hunter - lack the patience sadly - but do occasionally strike it lucky. So, instead of sensibly focusing only on knitting, I'm trying to learn to crochet too. I found the perfect tutorial requiring only one stitch. Its the Kelly scarf from One Flew Over. If I'm lucky I may be wearing it next winter! Ideally I would have liked to make one or two more as Christmas presents but, really, there's no way that's realistically going to happen.

What fits the 'Making Winter' category for you? There's some lovely pictures in the Making Winter flickr group pool.

October holidaying

2011-10-25T14:00:00.000+01:00

For at least some of last week's October holiday we had beautiful weather. On Wednesday we had planned a walk with V and her two boys, one of whom is Finn's best friend, and the day turned out to be perfect. We spent most of last week staying at my parents house (they are back in South Africa, so we are a two dog family for the winter again but do get to use their house as our 'country residence'!) and we set off for for the walk from there.

When we got to the North Pole (*hang on for explanation) we set the kids to finding sticks to make a fire and John found green sticks for making into skewers. Once we had enough wood for heating up our, already cooked (safer that way), sausages he showed the kids how to sharpen a stick each - then we all skewered our sausages and sizzled them on the fire.

*The North Pole is one of the first places we walked to when mum and dad moved to their current house. Its a little promontory where the river Tyne meets the sea at Tyninghame. The feel of this tranquil spot with pines on a little hillock reminded me of pictures in the Winne the Pooh stories and especially of the adventure to discover the North Pole - and the name has stuck ever since. It has caused some confusion amongst the children's friends when we have told them we're holding birthday parties at the North Pole. One little boy was rather worried about meeting polar bears!

As with much of the coastline of eastern Scotland, where there is a flat shoreline, there are huge big concrete blocks which are fantastic for climbing and jumping on. I loved them when I was little too. They are relics from WWII when they were set up as anti-tank defences.

Sandy le Oobee peeping into the moses basket - can you spot her tail?
I received my special parcel from Australia. It came from Leslie (onegirl) with one of her very special Oobees. This one is called Sandy and is made from vintage linen. I think Leslie may have a few more in her shop (which is only restocked every few weeks or so) and she makes the most amazing quilts too so do have a look. The parcel also contained one of her baby blankets which is being used every day in the pushchair - it is very snuggly and soft (the quilt I made is too big just yet).

Sandy is perfectly at home in Katie's vintage (almost 39 years old) moses basket..........mum bought it when I was a baby - rather a long time ago now! At the time they lived in Kenya and it was bought from a market there along with a mini one which was used for my dolls and now Islay's. It was used for me, then one of my brothers, not my youngest as he was born in Australia, and has since been used by Finn, Angus, Islay, my niece and nephew, and now Katie (the mattress has had several changes before you worry about hygiene!). I think it is rather special and love that a new generation of children are spending their first few weks sleeping in it. Mum re-lined it when Finn was due as I think the original had seen better days. You may spot the cat net folded back over the hood too - that's to keep Charlie cat at bay. He loves nothing better than snuggling around your neck for a snooze which, while lovely, isn't really so good with very little people.

Vintage moses basket!
And in case you were wondering and, even if you weren't, here's some photos of the current basket user. She is the sweetest little girl. Ever so happy and content and will smile just about all day long. She loves her brothers and sister and it is lovely to see them enjoying talking to her and their delight when she smiles and wriggles back at them.
Katie - 4 weeks
She's a very sleepy little soul too but reaches the point of over-tiredness really quickly without really showing any signs and then struggles desperately to drop off. I'm working hard to get better at spotting just when she needs to have a sleep - but I'm still not getting in right all the time.

Katie - 5 weeks
I'm working on a commissioned quilt this week and am enjoying spending some time sewing. I'm also back in niece and nephew child-minding mode. Today is the first day back with my nephew and we have been having a lot of fun as he toddles around on wobbly feet (he's 15 months) and from next week I'll have a day with my niece each week too. I'm keeping cooking really simple and trying to be sensible about what I plan to get done each day and, mostly, its all going really well. Especially when I get those lovely chubby smiles!

Katie the chubby smiler - at 6 weeks

Some things

2011-10-02T15:31:00.001+01:00

Thought I'd better try and pop in with a general catch up.

But firstly - thanks so much for all the kind comments about Katie. I'm sorry not to have replied to you all, I do usually try to reply along with the comments or directly by email if I can........but Katie is a bit of a time-eater I'm afraid. Which is, of course, exactly as it should be!

Islay, mud dancing in Binning Wood

Some things::

:: we went brambling yesterday and managed to collect enough for a crumble or pie or two but not enough for jam (last year's ran out months ago)
Kipper loves mud too

:: Islay, in her rather odd assortment of clothes, had a whale of a time in the mud.....and wasn't bothered about spending much of the brambling session in just her pants and tshirt after, rather predictably, falling into said mud

:: next year we need to remember to go earlier (around mid September, I think) - but we had quite a good reason not to this year
Picnicking in Binning Wood

:: that reason, in the form of little Katie, is growing rapidly and now has an extra chin plus lovely chubby cheeks

:: her Grannie was heard saying to her 'Oh, Katie, where has your pretty little pointed chin gone?' - I predict that it will reappear in about 18 months time when she starts to slim down again!
Katie, 3 weeks

:: having survived an upset tummy, because of the small amount of antibiotics getting into her system (to treat my mastitis which, fingers crossed, seems to be fully gone now), she now has a cold - I guess by the end of this winter her immune system will have been well and truly tested...which will be very good for her in the long run, I suppose

:: we have only two weeks to go until the October holidays. Yay. I'm really looking forward to having all 6 of us together for a week as John just had 5 days off when Katie was born (2 of which we were in hospital)
More Katie, sorry!

:: I have some pre-baby sewing to show, maybe next time

:: I really must start on the commission that needs to be completed for the end of this month

:: I can't wait for a very exciting parcel coming from Australia (I snapped up a couple of goodies for Katie and I know I will get at least as much pleasure from them as she will!) with money from my last commission

I think that had better be all for now. Hoping all is well with everyone. xxx

Introducing....

2011-09-17T10:59:00.000+01:00

..............Katie!

Catriona Rose Rutter (aka Katie) at 3 days old

Katie was born last Wednesday 7th September. We are all so delighted to have her in the family. She is already showered in love and cuddles from her big brothers and sister (although in honesty I should mention that, while they think she is wonderful, Angus burst into tears when he was told he had a sister and Islay has been rather demanding for the last couple of days - hardly surprising since she has lost her baby status and is very tired from starting school a month ago - Finn is just very proud to be an even bigger brother).

John and I are so very very pleased and relieved that she is here safe and sound. I know I have been very anxious for the last 9 months, and over the last few weeks of the pregnancy I started worrying more and more again, and that John has found it difficult too - but the end result, after our losses which we will never forget, is our perfect little girl. We are very lucky.

I'll try and get back into the swing of things over the next week or two but at the moment I'm just enjoying my 10 day old wee girl and, of course, the rest of our family of six!

Sunshine quilt, starting school and other stitchy stuff

2011-08-22T14:24:00.000+01:00

I thought it was about time I had a little round-up of what I've been up to sewing-wise....before I forget and it never gets recorded.

My very favourite thing, and the one I was most determined to finish, is a quilt for the baby. As soon as I selected the fabrics for it I've thought of it as the Sunshine Quilt. And really what could be a better way to welcome a new little being than a snuggly yellow sunshiny quilt? I've used lots of my favourite fabrics here and all but two were from my stash. In fact I had so little of a couple that I had to very carefully plan my cutting and placement to ensure I could use them.

I used a quilt pattern for the first time. I saw this one from One Flew Over a while ago and thought it would work well with the fabrics I had selected. I didn't follow it exactly, the pattern repeated some fabrics but I didn't do that. Very simple and straight forward - the hardest part was bringing myself to cut up the log cabins to rearrange them into a scrappy effect.....but it was worth it.

The fabrics are a mix of quilting cotton, linen, flannel and double gauze and because of this, in a complete departure from my normal minimal approach, I prewashed them all - I thought otherwise I was risking really different rates of shrinkage.

The photos really don't do it justice - it was a very wet grey day when I took them. We have had the odd better day since but I'm afraid my two-weeks-to-due-date body is in full lazy mode and I haven't made the effort to go upstairs and dig it out of my hospital bag - pathetic, I know.

I had also hoped to make a few new muslins. I have a pretty enormous pile already - mostly thanks to Angus, the others were fairly sicky compared to normal but he really was a champion. I remember many many feeds where, at the end, he brought up pretty much everything he'd just swallowed.....to the extent that it wasn't unusual to have to change everything he was wearing, everything I was wearing (including underwear) and, since it was often an evening feed, our whole bed linen too. And then of course, he'd have to be fed again. Still, I'm sure double-feeding must have helped with getting back into shape!

Anyhow, I quite fancied making a few prettier muslins to go in with my big white pile. I reckon they might make those first couple of weeks of establishing feeding a little bit brighter (fingers crossed this time it might be easier). I'd read (probably here I think) that Spoonflower's double-gauze was ideal for muslins tho' it is more like a single gauze. And one lucky day I spotted they had an offer - free postage overseas I think it was. So a yard of this pear and bird fabric made its way over from the USA plus another, completely justifiable of course, yard of girly elephant fabric (which actually is being used in the commission I'm currently working on so I wasn't too out of order - honestly, John).
I've just backed them some of my existing muslins - so really they are a bargain (am I over-egging my justification a bit here?!).

Last Wednesday Islay started Primary 1. I had a very cheeky excited little girl on my hands that morning. She had a lot of fun and is still enjoying herself. Its lovely to see her settling in so well - and just a little bit sad that she's taking that next step to being a bigger girl.

I had planned to make a couple of gingham pinafores but in the end only managed one (made with Oliver and S music box pattern) - and used the rest of the material to make a couple of quick and easy elastic waist skirts.

I hemmed the skirts with a strip of Westfalenstoffe (I think bought from Celtic Fusion last winter). The gingham came from Raystitch.

I absolutely loved making this next little stitchy thing. Aaaages ago I was lucky enough to win a baby oobee pattern from the lovely Leslie at onegirl (and bad enough to forget to blog that I had won it). I have been reading Leslie's blog for a while but had been a bit shy about commenting until she mentioned that she was planning to fly with her two little girls, by herself, from Australia to visit her family in Canada. I've made several solo-with-kids trips to South Africa to visit my parents so thought it was something I could usefully comment on - unlike sewing where I'm very much a beginner in comparison.
I decided to buy one of her baby oobee fabric packs which includes fabric for the oobee's body, ears and wadding for the quilt. I didn't think I'd be able to find natural fleece for the body here and wanted to avoid synthetic.

The pattern is incredibly straight-forward and easy to follow. I thought I'd have fun with the little quilt and use scraps to make it patchwork. She is now carefully packed away in her bag with her quilt and pillow - to be given to Islay when the baby arrives (the boys haven't been forgotten - we have a watch each for them. We've had a run of bad luck with watches and hopefully these new ones will withstand my rough little boys a bit better)

I finally finished bee blocks for Kerry in our Fresh and Funky Bee - I have to confess that I'm still not caught up yet, but I'm getting there.

And finally, at the beginning of the summer (crikey that seems like moments ago but was actually a good few weeks ago now) I finished a commission for a toddler girl quilt. It ended up being quite different from the initial plan as my customer had a bit of a change of heart part way through. The end result is a fun little quilt with lots of different animals and patterns for her daughter to look at.

So, what is planned next??? I'm fairly well through a commissioned baby quilt that I hope to finish before the end of this month - and before our baby arrives. I have a couple of bee blocks to finish. And ideally I'd like to make a couple more baby things.....but they are not essential and are really more of a hope than an expectation. Of course there's numerous other things to do, along with normal daily life, but I won't bore you with them.

Fingers crossed all will be well, things will get ticked off my list and, at some point, we'll get to meet a healthy little baby.

Islay.....and its goodbye to care*

2011-08-15T14:36:00.000+01:00

We had a most wonderful week on Islay. I've been going there for almost 30 years, I guess, and I think John has grown to love it too. There's so many memories from here - birdwatching, windsurfing, walks, New Years (including Finn's first, at 3 months, dancing the Gay Gordons with my dad just after midnight!), otters, midges and so much more.

This was the first visit for 3 years which is probably the longest gap ever. It is a beautiful drive to get there, once the Central Belt is left behind, passing through my old work area of Argyll (I was based in Lochgilpead for about 2 1/2 years when I was in my early 20s) and heading down the Mull of Kintyre to Kennacraig where the ferry sets sail from.

Getting onto the ferry is really magical and that's when I always feel the holiday has really started. This year we sailed on the new ferry 'Finnlaggan', which felt a little strange, after years of sailing on the 'Lord of the Isles'. One year we sailed on the 30th December and John and I got into the holiday spirit a little too much and ended up, the following day, seeing in the New Year much more quietly than usual for those pre-baby days! And other years, not many, have been filled with sea-sickness. This year we had, probably, the best sailing ever - it was simply stunning with crystal clear, sunny and calm weather.

The 'Paps' on the neighbouring island of Jura, from the ferry

Looking down the coast of Islay - our cottage was at the far end of this view

The first night the weather changed dramatically and we were kept awake with howling wind and rain. Our cottage, which is the one we stayed in last time, is right at the dead end of a single track road complete with 3 gates to open en route. It doesn't have electricity but there's endless hot water from an oil-fired rayburn and gas canister cooker and fridge - the real selling point for us, apart from unwinding, is that, because of the location, the children can truly run wild - we have no need to worry about cars or other people.

Despite the pretty miserable weather the kids were desperate for a swim so we braved the rain on the second afternoon and made the 2 minute walk to the beach in front of the house - it was quite a quick dip but they loved it!
What a view to have on your doorstepSwimming on the beach in front of the house

The forecast was good for the middle of the week so we planned a trip to the neighbouring island of Jura. The little ferry shuttles the short distance between the two islands across the Sound of Jura. There's a huge amount of tidal water that has to make its way in and out the Sound and the ferry crosses crabwise - always looking as if it is heading in completely the wrong direction as it battles the current.

Jura ferry

The day was beautiful and we settled onto Loch na Mile beach for a good long while. A couple of other families visited at various times but on the whole we had it to ourselves. The kids were in the water for over two hours - it wasn't ideal for the boogie boards as there was hardly a ripple but its amazing what fun you can have with a board even without a wave. To make the day even more special a golden eagle flew past the beach and headed off to the Paps (Jura's hills) and as we were waiting for the ferry home we saw porpoises swimming in the Sound.

Then everyone else set off on their bikes to cycle some of the way back and I picked them up, after a few miles, in the car.

The remainder of the week was more overcast and a little less glorious and we mostly stayed at the house and made the most of the outdoor space on our doorstep......cricket, football and learning to bike jump.

The field to the side of our house

Air time for Finn

Angus concentrating hard

Islay having fun - but not managing to jump yet

On the last day we visited Kilnaughton Bay which has always been one of my favourites. There was slightly more of a wave but sadly not quite enough to get a real surfing feeling - not that anyone seemed to mind!
Picnic lunch on the beach

Sharing the beach with cows and their calves - beautifully located cemetery in the background

So, all in all, we had another wonderful holiday on beautiful Islay. I suspect we may be back next summer.

* Lyrics for Westering Home - where the saying 'Islay- and its good bye to care' comes from::

Westering home and a song in the air
Light in the eye and its good by to care
Laughter o love and a welcoming there
Isle of my heart my own land

Tell me a tale of the Orient gay
Tell me of riches that come from Cathay
Ah but it's grand to be waken at day
And find oneself nearer to Islay

And it's westering home with a song in the air
Light of me eye and it's goodbye to care
Laughter and love are a welcoming there
Pride of my heart my own love

Where are the folks like the folks of the west
Canty and couthy and kindly, our best
There I would hie me and there I would rest
At home with my own folks in Islay

And it's westering home with a song in the air
Light of me eye and it's goodbye to care
Laughter and love are a welcoming there
Pride of my heart my own love

Now I'm at home and at home I do lay
Dreaming of riches that come from Cathay
I'll hop a good ship and be on my way
And bring back my fortune to Islay

And it's westering home with a song in the air
Light of me eye and it's goodbye to care
Laughter and love are a welcoming there
Pride of my heart my own love

(from http://celtic-lyrics.com/forum/index.php?autocom=tclc&code=lyrics&id=113)

Just popping in to say helloooo!

2011-08-11T13:06:00.000+01:00

Hiya - I've finally set aside a wee bit of time to pop in and say hello. Just like last year I seem to have been caught out by how busy things get over the holidays- in a very good way, but not one that leaves much time to sit in front of the computer.

I've pretty well abandoned blog reading and commenting - sorry, I will try and get back to normal in the next week or so. I can't quite believe it but school starts again next Wednesday. In fact, I'm in the middle of making a gingham pinafore for Islay (yes, I know I'll need to make more than one, but I thought it would be more sensible to make one completely first -just to check it actually works.......otherwise I'll have to make a dash to the shops and hope they have some left!)

So, what have we been up to? Lots, and it has been lovely to spend so much time with the kids and a bit more with John too. Right at the start of the holidays John and I had a couple of nights away by ourselves (thanks very much mum and dad - grannie and grandy - for looking after the children). We went up north to Invermoriston staying in this fantastic B&B as a treat in anticipation of our 10th wedding anniversary which is later this month. We had a wonderful day exploring Plodda Falls and Glen Affiric.

Plodda Falls were new to John and he was suitably impressed. This whole area is stunninglyy beautiful and we enjoyed visiting Glen Affric again. John was very good about missing out on a decent length walk - when we've been in this area in the past we would have been out for the day taking in some of the peaks but I'm afraid that wasn't high on my list of priorities this time with my bump making uphill walking rather puff-making.

Please excuse the mass of photos - I didn't manage to be very rigorous in my editing (well, actually, I guess I was as I took a lot, but perhaps I could have spared you a few more) its all so wonderful for someone like me who loves trees and mountains.

Once back from that little trip we had a week or so at home and then headed off to Portsmouth for a great catch up and stay with friends. All the kids got on very well and we enjoyed some adult time in the evenings. Islay and I came home via London where we spent a couple of nights. I did this with each of the boys before they started school. Somehow it seems a good time for a special big person trip and Islay was very excited in advance having been told about all the exciting things we could by the boys. I think watching the Royal Wedding earlier this year helped too as we had pointed out some of the sights we might see. Previously we have stayed with friends which has been a lot of fun but they have just move back up to Edinburgh (yay) so we had to make do with a hotel (which actually was pretty exciting as far as Islay was concerned!).

When we got back we had some lovely weather and one of the best days was a tubing trip down the river. Again, Grannie and Grandy helped out. Dad in the canoe (John had the chilly job of walking/swimming alongside Islay to keep track of her, and a very good job he did too!). Mum and I were the ground crew and drove ahead to meet them at various points to check they were okay. Islay stopped earlier than the boys........she got dunked fully under the, rather chilly, water right at the start so got colder much quicker.

We've talked about doing this for the last couple of summers and it was great to finally manage. We've learnt a few tips for next year when I'm sure we'll do it again. Hopefully I'll be able to get wet then too if mum will combine ground crew with babysitting!

Next up was our week long summer holiday on Islay. Wonderful....and I'll be back to tell you all about it in a day or two......she say rather hopefully!

Take care all and I do hope your summer is going well too.

Sunglasses at the ready, please!

2011-06-29T14:10:00.000+01:00

Are you ready for a lot of colour?? ......hopefully! I think this has to be the brightest and most colourful thing I have made so far.

This quilt was made for a little boy. His mum certainly likes mixing things up, I don't think there's a single fabric in there (well, discounting the solids) from my original suggestion. But that's what is so cool about commissions - making something that suits the person/people it is intended for. What could be better?

I've learnt lots from making it. Once I realised just how much colour we were aiming for I wanted to work out a quilt design that would work with it rather than become overwhelmed by it. I hunted around for a little while and found this quilt on Film in the Fridge and it seemed an ideal style to go for. Ashley has a tutorial for her quilt layout but I just used her general principle and adapted the design a little to fit my plans and final dimensions.

The quilt is approximately 100x100cm square and is backed in unbleached cotton flannel. My customer wanted it to be snuggly so I sent her a few little samples of fabrics that could be used for the back - I'm so pleased she picked the flannel, it is very soft and cuddly and gives a great texture (it came from Eco Earth Fabrics).

I had always planned the deep wine red for the binding and, although I did test out a few other options just to be sure, its the one I settled on to help 'ground' all the other colours. At least that's what I think!

John is away again until the end of this week and the kids and I had a lovely Saturday night and Sunday with my parents. Lots of running around outside and a bit more chill-out time for me (plus mum cooked roast beef which was very yummy!) .

Dad kindly acted as my quilt model (and took to it like a pro - thanks, dad). I wish I was always there for taking photos - they live in an amazing huge old house which has been split into several houses. Theirs comes complete with a spiral staircase (actually our house has a stone spiral stair from the ground to first floors but it is rather less grand and a lot more rustic) and it is wonderful for the children to have access straight from the front door into a huge area of shared garden.

This is our last week of school before the children break up for the summer. Afterwards Finn will be in P5, Angus P3 and Islay P1 - I'm becoming very conscious that these are my last few days with my little girl before she starts school. She has had a few practice visits, we've bought a couple of school skirts and some socks (I plan to make her a couple of gingham pinafores - most of those I can see in the shops are synthetic, hopefully I can make something a little more comfy). Its a bit scary thinking she'll be at school in a few weeks time. She's amongst the very youngest in her year, in fact one of her friends is 50 weeks older than her - but I think (and hope!) she'll be just fine, especially since she will have a particularly good teacher.

I hope you're all having a good week. It is dry and sunny here and we're planning another strawberry picking trip later in the week (the farm opened last week and when I told Islay we could go last Friday she announced that meant it was now summer time, she hasn't been convinced until then - I guess whether or not the strawberries are ripe is a pretty good gauge of the season).

Lots of happy-making bits and pieces

2011-06-23T14:56:00.000+01:00

There's been lots of fun and happy type sewing, and sewing related, things going on here. First up I made a sunhat for Islay, using the pattern from this lovely book. I think there will be quite a few more things made from the book in the future.

Islay, rather unfortunately, wasn't prepared to model the hat when I asked her to (photos taken last week on another picnic lunch with Miss Awkward and my niece......this week has been somewhat different - incredibly heavy rain most days so far but it is dry just now so we may be lucky when we set off to collect Finn and Angus in a little while).

I treated myself to a little bit of sunshine with a felt buttercup brooch. Not only is it cheery and pretty it is incredibly well made - as is standard with Beth's beautiful work.

This rabbit is something I have wanted to play around with for a while. Islay's favourite soft toy is Bun Bun who is a little rabbit comforter (the boys both have favourites too - and they all still go to bed with them - Finn with Bear and Angus with Teddy.....Islay's has a very inspired and original name by comparison!).

She obviously needs her head sewing on and some eyes and a nose/mouth adding - which will be where some personality can come out. The body is made quilt style with cotton wadding in the middle, the main fabric is flannel and if I make more I plan that the front of the body can be patchwork quilted or appliqued to give individuality - she has a little tail too.

I'm not sure whether the body needs to be a bit bigger or not. I quite like the big-head look but not sure if its too odd?! Any thoughts?

I had a little voile left over after making my skirt a couple of weeks ago. I don't really have anything in the way of a pretty bag and had spotted this pattern on uhandblog and decided to have a go. I love the bag - all I need now is an occasion to use it!

And my long-awaited superbuzzy order arrived. This Nani Iro double gauze is even more beautiful than I had anticipated.. I had heard it is very soft and it really is (I'm beginning to realise how much importance I place on texture and feel, I knew that was true of yarn, but hadn't realised I notice it so much with fabric too) - I've just finished making a muslin of a blouse as a test run for making a proper version with my Cerulean Blue.

And these two slipped into my shopping cart as well. The spot is another Nani Iro double gauze and the birds and bears is Megumi Sakakibara, Hikari - Pale Yellow . The simplicity (of design and colours) of many of the Japanese designs really appeals to me at the moment. Its a shame that there's not that much to be found in the UK.

The last two were bought to finish off my selection of fabrics for a baby blanket - for our baby, yay. I'm really looking forward to putting this together and think I have found/worked out a design for it.

Rather a lot of fabric

2011-06-14T10:58:00.000+01:00

There's been quite a lot of fabric making its way into the house recently - and its impossible not to get excited even though most of it is destined for a couple of toddler quilt commissions.

Saints and Pinners::

1. Metrodots, marigold - the most stunning colour and simple design (and as ever it turned up in the blink of an eye, Jo and Fran really are amazingly quick with delivery)

Seamstar::

1.Heather Moore/Cloud9, Cut Out and Keep, avenues (not for the commissions, just for me because it is so pretty)

2. Monalna Organics, Circa 60 Beach Mod, mod gulls in mineral (Courtney goes in for pretty quick delivery too)

Cia's Palette::
1. Alexander Henry, June Song, natural/brite
2. Alexander Henry, 2D Zoo, pool (one of my favourite staple 'boy' fabrics)
3. Follow Your Imagination, Big Starburst, aqua/green (I've had my eye on this for a while.....waited until I had an order to place anyway)
4. Amy Butler Lotus, Wallflower - sky (I've wanted some of this for a while too)
I have found Cia's Palette the easiest of the US sites to use - postage is very reasonable and it doesn't take too long to come (I'm such an impatient person!).

Fabric Rehab::

1. and 2. Tip Top Elephants, yellow and orange
3. and 4. Spring Street Linea Flower, green and turquoise
5. Urban Circus Elephants, blue (another one that should be a good staple)
6. Trefle Scandinavian Blooms, red

Doughtys::
1. Amy Butler Lotus, Wallflower, cherry (I intended to order this from Cia's Palette but somehow missed it off, luckily I found it in the UK)

Backstitch::
Lots of solid colours from their very good value Klona range (quick delivery too and their fabric colour swatch is really useful)....these will be used for the current comissions and lots of other future projects. Just realised that I forgot to take a picture of them on their own.....but they are shown below too.

Commission #1::
Very eclectic and colourful - has taken quite a lot of too-ing and fro-ing to find a selection of fabrics that the customer is happy with - she really likes bright and cheery, and isn't at all bothered by gender conventions for colour (which I think is pretty cool). The quilt is destined for her little boy. Mostly these are the new fabrics shown above, and ordered for this project, but there's a few from my stash too. Have just started piecing the front and I'm having a lot of fun with it.

Comission #2::
A completely different, much tighter, mix of colours which I think will be really pretty without being too twee and babyish. Destined for a little girl. Fabrics mostly from my stash with a couple of new ones from the above orders. Will finish #1 before I get going on this one.

I've also got a pile of fabrics looked out to make a quilt for our baby. I'm still waiting for a superbuzzy order which should have a couple more to add to it....can't wait to get started on this one.....just hope the order isn't lost in the post.

That was fun

2011-06-07T14:45:00.000+01:00

I'm woefully late with bee blocks. One of the reasons, apart from general bad planning and busyness, has been that I was quite scared of the book block that Vicky asked for......it included, gasp, embroidery (now, I have to say at this point, that the very kind Vicky also said not to worry about doing the embroidery if we didn't want as she could add it later - but I'm not very good at admitting defeat and not doing something, but that's not to say I won't also procrastinate in order to avoid said scary thing).

Eventually, and several weeks late, I talked myself into having a try. And do you know what - I enjoyed it! I didn't produce anything miraculously wonderful but, hopefully, for a first attempt at embroidery it isn't too bad. As I worked my way through the children's book titles Vicky had given me I kept thinking 'this is fun' which immediately reminded me of one of our favourite children's books. I haven't read it much lately as the boys are very much past reading this kind of book and Islay is pretty much too (she's enjoying things like the Faraway Tree and My Naughty Little Sister just now) - perhaps no. 4 will enjoy it as much as the others have.

Anyway, to cut a very long rambling blog post a little shorter I dug out the book to share some of the pages with you. Miss Lollipop travels around the world picking up an assortment of animals along the way and eventually the very full truck meets a tiger - which gobbles up all the animals.......

Fortunately they pop back out again when the tiger has the hiccups........

And on being asked if that was horrible they all reply 'NO, THAT WAS FUN!'.

So, I've learned a lesson (probably one that I've learnt many times before and should really know at my age). Not only do I enjoy embroidery, I should just try things that worry me rather than leaving them far too long. Sorry, Vicky, for being so late and THANKYOU very much for helping me learn a new skill! It was fun.

Chilling out

2011-06-05T16:56:00.000+01:00

That's what we've been doing this weekend......chilling out. Almost literally too, we had beautiful weather through the week (by Friday it was up to 27 degrees and I was shattered at the end of the day!), and then we woke up yesterday morning to a chilly wind and temperatures around 12 degrees.

So - the picnic on the beach plans were abandoned and we relocated to Binning Wood. One of our, many, favourite places. It has some lovely glades which are perfect for settling down in and cooking sausages for lunch. And we had to settle for quite a while too as we'd forgotten how long it takes the Cobb to warm up. My parents gave John his Cobb for Christmas a couple of years ago. His was bought in South Africa, where they are made, but you can by them in the UK now. While they are wonderful little cooker/camping stove/BBQ hybrids they do take a while to build up heat........next time we'll remember to light it as soon as we can.

Cute Kipper and handsome Moray

Meanwhile the children and dogs (we're back up to two temporarily as mum and dad are away for a few days) had a lovely time roaming around and occasionally popping back to check that John and I hadn't moved (and whether lunch was ready yet!). I did almost nothing except sit and enjoy spending time with John and seeing the children have so much fun exploring by themselves. We've had a very hectic few weeks and the next few will be, at times, too so it was lovely to have the chance to really relax.

In anticipation of Friday's heat I thankfully abandoned my sewing plans for Thursday and instead cut into my recently purchased Anna Maria Horner voile to make a skirt. I'm really reluctant to buy maternity clothes or even to make anything that can't be worn after September. I'd spotted this little tutorial on AMH's website a while ago and thought it would be a perfect compromise - the deep waistband is made with four narrow strips of elastic so next summer I can shorten the elastic. On Friday I wore it with the waistband rolled down under my rapidly expanding bump which was very comfortable...........and showed off a little of the green lining when my, non-maternity, top rose up too much for the millionth time. It kept me very cool and comfy and I think will actually look better when my waist, hopefully, returns at some point in the future. Photos are somewhat pathetic but that mirror is the longest we have i.e. not full length, or width for that matter!

And today John took the kids off for a walk this morning and I spent a happy, peaceful, time sewing a baby blanket which was bought on Folksy at the end of the week (I make them up to order so that I can include any fabric or personalisation requests). It is now prettily wrapped up and ready to send off. I do like seeing an order all ready to go and feeling/hoping it will be enjoyed by the recipient - in this case I think its a present for a new niece.

I do hope everyone is well and found at least some of last week's sun. I have lots of beautiful fabric to show-off next time (mostly bought for two toddler blanket commissions but a little for my stash). And I'm very excitedly, and not at all patiently, awaiting a delivery from Superbuzzy.......I'll share the contents when they arrive!

All packed up and sent off

2011-05-19T13:17:00.000+01:00

I'm feeling mighty pleased with myself today and just a wee bit apprehensive too. I have been working on a big, for me, commission over the last few weeks. I think I've shown little bits of it here and there but earlier this week I finished everything off and this morning it was sent to the lovely couple who ordered everything - ready for their wee boy who is due in the summer.

I have really enjoyed this project. The quilt, pillow case and fitted sheet, once I'd thought through how best to make it, were pretty straightforward. I was quite nervous about making a cot bumper - this one measured 280cm long as they'd asked for it to fit both ends of the cot plus one long side. In the end, again once I'd thought up a design and construction method, it came together really smoothly. Except for the ties which had to be changed to straps at either end so the bumper could be attached to the solid ends of the cot bed. And then came the mobile which drove me nuts.....do you know how many legs 7 zoo animals have?! I hate turning out narrow bits of fabric but in the end I think they all have the correct number of legs (and I now know that I definitely prefer tortoise legs to giraffe ones....amazing what you learn while you are sewing!).

This has been a fantastic piece of work for me as it has made me try things I wouldn't have otherwise made. I feel really touched that T and E trusted me to make so much for them. It has been good to work with people who have such an interest in handcrafted work. And this is why I'm nervous - I just hope it lives up to expectations.

I've just started working on another toddler quilt commission but we are still at the stage of exchanging fabric ideas so, since I have a little bit of time before Islay needs collecting from nursery, I'm going to enjoy a couple of hours of guilt-free fun sewing........maybe a little skirt for her and starting a sunhat (again for her, the spoilt little miss!). Oh, and I'm completely ignoring the fact that the bathrooms need cleaning and things are looking really dusty - that can wait until tomorrow, surely?

What would you be doing this afternoon if your timetable was clear for the first time in a while?

P.S. No idea why some of my pictures are wrong way round. They are the right way round saved on the PC and I can't find a way to fix it. Sorry, hope your neck doesn't get sore!

Just popping by........

2011-05-15T14:40:00.000+01:00

Oh dear, oh dear.....this poor blog is very neglected lately. A combination of John being away and extremely busy when he isn't, me working full time last week and again the week after next, Islay ill and pregnancy tiredness - that seems like enough reasons for me not being around on blogland but I do hope I can be back here more often soon!

I'm really missing catching up with people and I do apologise for not visiting and commenting much recently. And I am also missing recording what I have been up to on here. I have some lovely photos from recent walks that I'd like to load up and share (and it's actually as much for me to have them stored on here where, in the future, I can reflect back on we have been up to)....maybe this week, maybe not.

Yesterday we had a lovely day with John's parents celebrating their 80th birthdays (one last month and one this month) with family and friends. It was good to catch up with some of John's cousins who we rarely see and I think his mum and dad had a great time - which after all was the main point of the day. I tried, a couple of weekends ago, to take a photo of John and the kids to give to them as an extra present.......but as you can see by the photos I've shown here I didn't have much success - and I've weeded out the worst ones!

Islay is much better altho' a perforated eardrum means no swimming for a while. John set off again this morning for 7 nights away but mum has taken Kipper which frees up quite a lot of time (dog walking and dog-related hoovering and floor sweeping are blissful to be without for a week!). I left work on Friday night having completed a good chunk of what I'd set out to do so I can enjoy being at home this week with my three lovely little people and a couple of days with my niece and nephew too - and then I'll head back into work next Monday for a week to finish off (as part of my Forestry Commission career break I work two weeks a year to 'keep in touch'. It's fun to find my brain again, catch up with people and find out what has been going on in the world of forestry (rather different up here in Scotland than in England). And my very capable mum and dad do a brilliant job of looking after the kids for me.)

I have managed a wee bit of sewing too. A knitting bag for John's mum's birthday - I used a free pattern from uhandblog. Very quick and easy although I am a bit disappointed with the way the design works at the top - it actually doesn't open very wide. Another time I'd modify it so there's a deeper opening at each side.

Hope to see you all again soon!

We have sunshine

2011-04-28T14:01:00.000+01:00

What to do with two little girls (Islay and my niece) on a beautiful sunny day?

Take them to the park at the end of your street and have a picnic lunch. Having Lady Kitty's garden (aka the Giants Garden aka the Secret Garden) at the end of our street does compensate for living in town and having a small garden - quite a lot when the sun shines too!

My sister-in-law's Grannie is in hospital. She is an amazing lady, well into her nineties, who lives in her own home but sadly broke her lower back a few weeks ago. She has been in hospital since then, and is recovering slowly, but is apparently very fed-up of wearing hospital linen around her neck when she's eating. So.........K and I dreamed up the idea of adult bibs for her.

She likes brown mixed with bright colours and this fabric seemed perfect. It's backed in a very soft off-white organic flannel (bought in the UK over a year ago but I can't remember where from. I need to spend some time googling to find it again as it's wonderful stuff and I seem to remember it was good value). Having made these bibs I think I may make some baby ones - to keep and to sell. I hadn't realised how quick and simple they would be.

I've taken a few photos of the pillow case and quilt for the commission I'm working on. I do like the mix of fabrics and colours in this project. The quilt still needs binding but, hopefully, I'll get that done over the weekend and hand-sew the back in front on the TV on saturday night.

The pillow case is quilted on the front which will gives it a lovely soft padded feel. I made a couple in this style for Islay a couple of years ago and they are still going strong.

I decided to quilt the quilt in random/freeform/squint (not sure what the technical word is!) lines to add a bit more interest, especially to the back which is quite plain. I tried out using blue and green thread in the bobbin to blend in more on the back but decided I liked off-white better - the colour doesn't jump out and it gives the quilting a bit more definition (I think). As usual the quilt could do with a good iron - I did iron the pillow case before taking the photo so I'm feeling quite proud of myself. One out of two isn't too bad....compared to normal, anywayl!

I do hope everyone has a fun day tomorrow, whatever you have planned. We have family coming over mid-morning and after lunch we plan to go out for a good long walk.

Quilt back::

Fun times

2011-04-27T14:28:00.000+01:00

A couple of weekends ago I was lucky enough to have a day away from home to indulge myself in some sewy fun. Lynz and I met up at Jo's lovely house near Linlithgow. It's not far from our last house and I got quite nostalgic driving over there - Jo lives in a particularly pretty part of West Lothian. She had invited us over to teach us hand quilting (that was the excuse but we did an awful lot of nattering too!).....that was why I had to make the cushion top, which I showed last post, in such a hurry - I really didn't want to turn up without anything to quilt.

Jo let us have a look at her quilts - she has been quilting for a long time and has made some really individual and quirky quilts made with her abundant skill, and many of them have been beautifully hand-quilted. We also rummaged in her fabric stash which, needless to say, was lots of fun.

We are, from left to right - Lynz, Jo and me.

After a yummy lunch we got down to the quilting. Jo makes it look so easy, and I have to say so did Lynz, I think I'll have to work on my stitch length and neatness a little. But the effect is lovely and I will definitely persevere. We also squeezed in a trip into Linlithgow, to visit the two fabric shops, and amongst a lot of pretty uninspiring fabrics we all managed to find a few little bits to bring home - now there's a surprise!

My cute pin toppers - very badly photographed.

It was so much fun to spend the day with such lovely people and to be able to talk about fabric, thread, needles and so on without being laughed at or ignored. Lynz gave each of us a couple of gorgeous pintoppers made by her clever self and the even more clever Chook (her 8 year old little girl - who I think must be just as much of a character as her mum!).

We're hoping to meet up again - yay!

The other piece of news to share is that we're expecting a baby. After my miscarriages, and especially the late one last autumn, I've felt happier keeping quiet about being pregnant until now. But at 21 weeks things seem to be going well and last week we had a 20 week scan which was fantastic (the first I've had as they've only recently been offered in this area). I was already aware that this baby is a wriggly one and the scan only confirmed that......it certainly doesn't like to keep still.

Until the last 2 or 3 weeks, when I've been able to feel lots of movement every day and therefore know for myself that all is well, I've been very anxious and quite stressed out. Which, while I know isn't a good thing and not good for the rest of the family either, I haven't been able to do much about although I have been trying hard to be positive. I have also been feeling horribly sick until very recently and even on Sunday eating my evening meal was a battle (cooking has been a bit of a challenge too - but not one I could avoid with lots of hungry people to feed!). I'm also struggling with tiredness but that just goes with the territory for me when I'm pregnant so I just have to get on with it! But I'm mostly much better now and am looking forward to enjoying the last half of this pregnancy and waiting to see who our new little person will be.

I do feel very lucky to be here at this stage with a new life to look forward to - especially knowing there are so many people out there struggling to have even their first baby or with far more worries that we have had. I will not be taking my good fortune for granted.

I have had fun making a couple of pairs of baby trousers......don't leap to the conclusion, based on the colours, that we're expecting a boy. We have no idea but I'm happy to dress a girl in these trousers. The bird fabric on the first pair was rescued from a blouse I made that didn't fit well - you may just be able to spot bust darts near the top! The second pair are flannel on one side and linen on the other. I used the pattern in Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book. Very easy and straightforward and I'm definitely happy with the end result - tho' not my photography, but I'm afraid I didn't have time to play around with the camera or the sun (and I really don't want to complain about the sun).

Oops, catching up time

2011-04-22T15:11:00.000+01:00

Oh, dear. I really didn't intend to disappear for so long, actually until I logged into blogger today I hadn't realised how long it has been since I last posted. Oops. It's quite scary how time can disappear so quickly and relatively unnoticed.

We had a couple of weeks of house chaos and mess with builders knocking down a wall, knocking through another to create a new doorway and then building a new wall. It was pretty horrendous while it lasted. I can just about cope with dust and mess and noise but I really don't like having other people, however nice, in the house for so long quite - I guess I just like my space. But now it's pretty much done, apart from loads of decorating that we'll need to squeeze in sometime. The boys have bedrooms each, both with room for a spare bed and plenty room to play, and our study is smaller but a much better shape. Definitely a good piece of work and worth saving up for.

We also had 3 days with no kitchen. The built-in cooker that came with the house finally died to such an extent that even John agreed it needed replacing (yippeee - I didn't sabotage it, honestly, tho' I have wished I could for the last 3 years!). Because it needed to be cut out I was able to wangle new solid wood (from Ikea - I love them) surfaces too. The new cooker has a double oven and even four working rings (quite a revelation!) and with the new surfaces the kitchen looks a whole load better without too much cost. Yay. I do feel very lucky and am making sure to remember to enjoy it all.

There is a purpose to these cycling photos, really. A few days ago we made a trip to Glentress - our closest mountainbiking centre (I've been visiting Glentress since I was a kid but in those days just for walking, as a student to get my chainsaw certification and for numerous fieldtrips, and many times for work too. It is a bit of a leading centre for mountainbiking........which it does beautifully in amongst lots of walking and horse-riding and also producing some pretty stunning timber and wildlife habitat too. That's what I love about forests - they can be so many things at once). John loves his mountainbiking and, as a qualified leader, he runs a club for teenagers. Finn and Angus probably made their first self-propelled trips when they were about 5 or 6 and Islay has been many times in the bike trailer or on the back of my bike. The boys progressed to blue routes last summer which makes them feel very proud of themselves (trails are graded like ski-runs from green, blue, red and then black as the hardest).

We decided that Islay was ready to try the green run by herself. And boy did she have a good time! She did have a fall but picked herself up and carried on. She 'wheee-ed' her way round the corners and finished, after 50 minutes or so, with a huge grin on her face. Sometimes we remind the boys, when they have had enough of pink and girliness, that there aren't many not yet 4 1/2 year old little sisters or brothers who would be able to do what she does (she actually started cycling without stablilisers this time last year). That's my girl!

I have a commission from a lovely couple to make a cot bed set for their baby boy who is due this summer. I emailed pictures of suggested fabrics and after a few tweaks we came up with a set which while suitable for a baby will also work when he is an older boy using his bed. It is lovely to be working with people who are so interested and really appreciate the value of hand-made. Today I finished quilting the quilt (top shown pieced below), the fitted sheet is made and the pillow case top is ready for quilting too. Then I'll be onto the bumper and mobile - he's going to be one lucky little boy!

Alexandra asked for confetti blocks for her month of the Fresh and Funky Bee. It really stumped me for quite some time. Her gallery pictures were so pretty, as were those made by the rest of the group, but I couldn't think of a design that I was happy with. Once I sat down and thought about what confetti means to me I knew what I wanted to do. To me, confetti conjures an image of tiny paper hearts floating in the air at a wedding and also cherry blossom gently blowing in the breeze. So I have tried to capture these two images in my blocks. The heart and blossom shapes are stitched down in a continuous line that stretches from the top-most piece to the bottom.....hopefully suggesting gentle floating down to the ground!

I had an exciting reason, to be revealed next time, for putting together this cushion top. It is intended for our bed - along with the quilt I'll make from my bee blocks....nearly all sent back and looking fantastic, I can't wait to show you them.

So, thanks for bearing with me through that mammoth catch-up (if you knew how many things I decided you could do without knowing you would be very relieved!). I have a couple of exciting things to share next time, including the reason for staying up late to make that cushion top! I'll try and be back sooner.

In the meantime I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and get to enjoy some time with family and friends.

Lots of happy things

2011-03-25T09:43:00.000Z

It is so sunny here (think it may not last but it's wonderful for now - and I do hope you have it too) and I have managed to complete a few things in the last week or so. The combined effect is making me very happy - happy that I've managed to be a bit more productive and happy because I love the sun.

A new spring/summer coat for Islay::

I've used Anna Maria Horner flannel - it is incredibly soft as well as pretty. I tried to buy it in the UK but couldn't find what I wanted (Courtney at Seamstar still has some but unfortunately not what I was looking for this time) so I ordered from Fabricworm. The buttons are glazed coconut shell and came from Raystitch. The pattern came from manimina on etsy and isn't meant to be reversible but I altered the closing system - by sewing the button through one layer of fabric only and attaching little ties (repeated on the other side). Islay loves it - isn't she a good daughter?!

A new cotton cardigan for Islay::

Islay may be good (and actually she's probably rather better described as cheeky and quite naughty too) but she is also very lucky. My special mum knitted her this lovely cardigan (Debbie Bliss pattern and Debbie Bliss DK cotton yarn - the yarn equivalent of the AMH flannel above, it's so soft and has a texture I could cuddle quite happily for hours). It should have a zip closure but neither of us felt it did the cardigan justice and it really didn't lie well. So mum, just before rushing off to the airport back to South Africa, suggested a toggle and tie closure. I checked out my buttons to see if I had any toggles and spotted these buttons (from Raystitch again) which I thought would be perfect. I hope you like them too mum? I felt very nervous about doing this as I really didn't want to spoil her beautiful knitting. Again, Islay loves it.

Quilt As You Go (QAYG) blocks for Christchurch::

Some of you may know Cat who blogs at Catalina's Cottage. She is an incredibly lovely person who does very kind things and has been tireless in helping her fellow New Zealanders since their earthquakes. She has already organised people from around the globe to make quilts to be handed out through local charities to people affected by the quakes. Since the recent biggie she has asked for QAYG blocks as they are easier to bring together into a completed quilt. These will be posted off to Fiona (footonthetreadle) who is co-ordinating things in the UK. I do hope they help bring some warmth and joy to people in need.

Cushion for sofa::

I finished the final cushion for our sofa and I think it's my favourite. It was fun to make.

Pretty flowers::

Not really something I have made but I do love flowers. The lilies are a bit over the top and ever so dramatic. The narcissi are rather more delicate and, I think, even prettier.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

My little monster

2011-03-17T10:30:00.006Z

Angus decided on Tuesday night that he'd like to dress up as a monster for Comic Relief. We have a dinosaur and dragon outfit but, apparently, neither is suitable for what he had in mind. His request, actually demand, was for a gruffalo style monster.

So, yesterday I made a hasty trip to the local fabric shop (which I wouldn't buy normal sewing fabric from as their range is pretty appalling it is good for needles, thread etc though) and found some horribly synthetic brown furry stuff and some green and purple acrylic felt. If they had had wool felt I'd have bought it but really, thinking about it now, that would have been daft. What's the point in using lovely natural materials on furry stuff that should probably carry a health warning?.......while I was cutting and sewing it I did wonder if I should be wearing a mask as it shed so much fluff.

A couple of hours later (yes, I know, that's why I wouldn't suggest you look too closely at it and why it is rather shapeless) and I'd battled the fur into approximate submission. Now, the gruffalo has purple prickles all over his back and these just run in a line down his back and his poisonous wart should be on his nose rather than his tummy and he shouldn't really have spikes on his tail - but it met with Angus' approval and I think he'll go off to school tomorrow a happy little monster.

Islay has gone to pre-school today dressed in red from head to foot with a red cape, which I made for Finn a couple of years ago, as well for good measure.

Finn doesn't really 'get' dressing up but he has agreed to wear his werewolf outfit tomorrow....but I didn't make that one.

We, or rather John, cleared our loft at the weekend so it could be insulated at the beginning of the week. We had been dreading doing it for ages because of the generations of rubbish that has been left in there. Our stuff is fairly well organised in bags and boxes and took less that half an hour to empty but the 'historical' stuff took rather a lot longer. Sadly we didn't find any treasures. The only remotely interesting thing was an old high chair (anyone know how old?). It is in a pretty bad state and needs a fair bit of TLC but still works well and folds down into a little chair and table too. I can't quite decide what to do. I wouldn't like to take it to the tip along with the rest and I suspect a charity shop would just bin it. I'd quite like to sand it down but wouldn't know how to tackle recovering it - I guess oil cloth would be best to recover it but I'm not sure how I'd attach it. Any ideas?

It's raining here, again, today. We had a day of sun yesterday but otherwise it has been relentless rain for days. Here's to some sun and a lovely weekend for everyone.

At last

2011-03-08T08:18:00.009Z

At last, some sewing! I have been working away at various bits and bobs recently but not really much fit for showing on here. However I do, finally, have some things completed.

A couple of Saturdays ago I treated myself to a trip to Leeds to join a Greycircles sewing workshop (run by Manda and Karen). As much as anything it was an excuse to spend a day sewing and have some time to myself (although by 9pm when I was getting off the train home my 5am wake-up was starting to tell!). I loved it. Despite both feeling under the weather Manda and Karen are great teachers and lots of fun. I got to meet Justine too - she and I started blogging at around the same time last year and have become good blogging buddies. Lovely and such a pleasure.

The aim of the workshop was to make a child sized dress or tunic top and reversible trousers. I made both for Islay (don't worry my boys couldn't care less!). I reduced the length of the dress to make it more of a tunic but perhaps was a bit overzealous so it ended up a bit shorter than I had intended. When I got home I unpicked the hemming and, instead, used a ribbon to enclose the bottom edge - which gives it a bit more length and finishes it prettily (tutorial here, it works really well and I have used it for hemming skirts for Islay quite a lot). I liked the effect of the ribbon on the bottom hem but didn't have enough for the sleeves. Instead I used a similarly coloured robot ribbon. I like the way the red in the ribbon helps bring out the red on the stripe of the sleeves.

Next up were the trousers. Couldn't be easier as long as you remember that linen doesn't have a 'right' and 'wrong' side so you need to keep track of which is which. As you can probably guess I didn't think about this first time round and when I came to sew the legs together I had fronts meeting backs - not a good look! Still, I'm much more likely to remember in future having stuffed up so annoyingly (alongside ironing unpicking is one of my least favourite activities. I'm good at avoiding ironing but less so with the unpicking.).

Islay loves both the trousers and the top so I can't really ask for more especially after such a fantastic day. I was also quite shocked at how much difference a really good quality sewing machine makes (I'm always wary of being a 'bad workman that blames their tools' and I manage fine with what I have....but I do now realise that life would be easier with an upgrade. Will just have to dream for now).

Next up are some new cushions for our sofa. I would have loved to have made some bright and breezy cushions but our walls are two kinds of blue wallpaper (both of which are shiny) and the carpet is a patterned green (unfortunately such good quality that it refuses to show any signs of wear)....one day we'll at least paint the walls but it is a huge room and the ceiling is high so we keep putting it off. So, cushion choice is rather restricted.

I used some wool I've had for a while for the cats and their bows are from the wool felt scraps I bought at the Country Living Christmas Fair (with cushions in mind). The remaining felt went into a strip on a bigger blue linen cushion (with one more, of slightly different design, still to make). And I felted a tank-top, which I loved but had lost it's shape, to make another two.

Snow white, and her grubby nose, likes them.

And finally, for no real reason beyond their prettiness and lovely scent (which I do realise will be lost on you), here's my very cheery hyacinths.

Holiday walking - part 2

2011-02-28T14:20:00.009Z

Somewhat later than planned..........I thought I'd share another wonderful walk from our half-term. This one is a 'proper' walk with a defined route, car park and even other people. But Pressmennan Wood, despite being relatively busy (and I guess it is relative as we only passed around 5 other families in over an hour of walking), is such a great spot. The Woodland Trust has installed little carvings and windows and doors in some of the trees - the tree houses are home to Glingblobs and Tootflits. It really keeps the children's interest and the carvings are so well done and low key that they don't intrude too much into the woodland.

I started spotting some signs that Spring is on it's way. Great tits singing, lots of catkins and honeysuckle leaves stirring.

We have a gorgeous sunny day here today. Perfect. I do hope it's so lovely with you too. I'll be back soon, hopefully, with some evidence of real sewing. I've finally managed to be a bit more productive in the last few days - still only small bits but getting there.

Holiday walking - part 1

2011-02-21T14:52:00.008Z

We have just finished our half-term and we had a lovely time with two walks, in particular, that hit the right spot - lots of freedom for the children and dogs, and no rain.

I think, in an ideal world, I'd always choose a walk like this first one. We were actually on our way to visit friends who live in the Forest of Bowland (not far from Wray and Hornby) and needed find somewhere to break up the journey and let off some energy.

When we got to Biggar (which, incidentally, has a wonderful fish and chip shop despite being quite far from the sea) we turned off onto smaller and smaller roads until we spotted an old hill track heading off into the hills (surprisingly enough!). It was just perfect. No other people, endless walking and beautiful views. We had fun!

My kids don't really know how to have a 'civilised' walk. For them a walk is an opportunity to climb, scramble, chase, get wet and fall over. We keep older jackets for walks so that I don't then have to panic about getting them clean in time for a trip to the shops or for school days.

I do sometimes get very frustrated and wish that they'd just walk, stay clean and be a bit less wild....but then I remind myself (or, usually, John does) that it is so very good for them to get this freedom and not care what they look like. They need to be children and be able to mess around and explore....and sadly not so many kids get the opportunity these days.

We had a lovely time with our friends too. Including a walk in 'their' wood. When they got married a couple of years ago they asked for donations rather than presents. And they were able to help the Woodland Trust buy Greta Wood. It was great to visit and see what we had helped purchase and keep in good hands for the future. I was too busy talking to remember to take more than this one picture - oops!

I hope you all have a lovely week.

Seeing the world through their eyes

2011-02-16T14:29:00.006Z

What would you think if your 6 year old son waved a pencil in front of you, asked 'is this the green one?', and then produced a beautiful picture of a green lion?

Well, I thought 'Oh, Angus, why didn't you tell me it was a lion you were going to draw?' But said 'That's fantastic Angus, I love his claws'.

You see this sort of thing happens all the time with both Finn and Angus. I know that when Angus asks for the bowl the same colour as his hair he means the light green one (his hair is light red - strawberry blond. It isn't green, honestly). If Finn asks if something is grey it's because he's worried that I'm trying to make him wear pink.

With Finn, my eldest, I carefully tried teaching him colours. We often talked about the colours of his toy cars and soon he knew them all. But he couldn't apply that consistently to other objects. In fact, he'd just learnt which colour went with which car. He could get colours right sometimes - bright yellow was easy for instance and he got better at making an 'educated' guess. But we also understood what he meant when he talked about 'race you to that red tree' or 'our old cat was green wasn't she?'.

Finn sees the world very differently to most of us. His colour blindness is particularly wide ranging. When he first went to pre-school I mentioned that I though he was colour blind but was told he was too young to tell and I had the same story when he started school. I was pretty certain that he was so as soon as he knew all his numbers and letters accurately we had our optician test him and lo and behold he has a severe colour deficit.

It seems that there is a real range in the level of colour blindness and some people get through life without really being aware that they are. While with others, like my boys and my dad, it's very obvious. And that's who they have inherited it from - through me, of course. In fact one of my brothers is colour blind too but he has inherited it from my mum (it is passed down on the x chromosome which is why men are far more likely to be colour blind as they only have one rather than two x chromosomes) and isn't quite so bad. I'd always thought my dad didn't make much effort with colours and that was why he was so much worse than my brother - but having had Finn tested we now know that it's just that there are so many colours their eyes can't differentiate.

I probably didn't try nearly so hard to teach Angus about colours as I pretty soon guessed he was colour blind too. And this time I had no difficulty persuading the school about it - I guess they had had enough experience of Finn by then!

I think, from my observation, that they see far fewer colours than us and work mostly on shades to identify between colours. Finn was recently peering at our car and one of the same model parked next to it. After quite a lot of peering (I did wonder what he was doing but he is an 8 year old boy and they do strange things) he announced that this (the dark green one - which was correct) was our car and if you looked closely enough you could see it was different to the other one (which was a deep maroon). There wasn't not a lot to be said other than agreeing that it was our car.

If you're going to have some kind of impairment then there are far far worse but it does mean they can't join the police, fire brigade etc or the armed services or ever fly a plane (or rocket as Angus desperately wants to do). It also makes identifying blood from mud difficult (tricky when you enjoy playing rugby!) - I'm not sure how my dad has managed with this as he is a vet - especially since, to him, diarrhoea looks pretty similar to mud and blood too! And today, when John burnt his hand quite badly, the boys asked to see but then couldn't spot the redness or blisters - clearly daddy was making a fuss about nothing.

P.S. We do point out to them when they have made mistakes - mostly, and they are well aware that they see things differently. At school they are getting better at asking their friends or teacher for help but don't always remember or think about it(as evidenced by Finn's portrait of poor Sophie!). And we have had to explain to Angus that he won't be able to fly rockets, jets or even normal aeroplanes - it has always been something he has wanted to do but after a while we decided we'd tell him, just in case he really set his heart on it and it became a long-term career plan.

Thankgoodness for old fashioned toys

2011-02-11T08:05:00.007Z

Things have been busy again here (it would be simpler if I stopped mentioning that and just actually comment when it isn't or when I achieve something other than the bare minimum).

We had a wonderful weekend with friends staying. I've known A&P since uni. Gone are the days of sitting up for hours over cheap wine and strange food concoctions (at least I think my food has improved a bit over the years, maybe I should have asked them) but it is still so lovely to see them. We, I'm quite sure, haven't changed much in the last 20 years but circumstances have........5 children between us and theirs are just 3 years and 10 months. Makes for busy but fun times.

There was a brief pause in otherwise unremitting rain and we made a dash for the beach. The girls, needless to say, got soaked.....somewhat led on by P it has to be said!

They also practised scary faces to chase away sea monsters - here's Islay's best attempt at a scary face........I bet you're terrified now.

By Sunday Islay had a high temperature and and really wasn't feeling well. On Monday she slept all the way into and back from Edinburgh when I took A&P to the station to catch the train back to London. Today is the first she hasn't had a raised temperature and she is much more cheery.

Thankfully by yesterday she was able to play a bit and I had a break from reading stories. And thankgoodness for good old fashioned toys. Playmobil, playdoh and drawing were what kept her happy.

The playmobil people spent a fair bit of time lying in bed 'feeling ill and having a rest'. They didn't do any of the lying on the sofa, moaning and demanding stories that Islay did - strange.

All we need now is for her appetite to return. Oh, and for the boys not to succumb to this or one of the many other bugs going around.

We're looking forward to a rare day and night without the children this weekend. My brother and sister-in-law are looking after them for 24 hours. John and I are off into Edinburgh for lunch out, meeting friends for drinks and then to Murrayfield to watch Scotland beat Wales at rugby........or the other way round according to John but he is undoubtedly wrong. At least one of us should be happy with the outcome!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend whatever your plans are. And I'm making a small wish for some sun next week - not unreasonable to ask?

Time to rethink?

2011-02-04T11:28:00.014Z

Well, I had great plans this week for working up some of my ideas (the ones that I keep hinting about) and getting to a final version of the shopping bag I have been working on.

But....needless to say....those plans went by the wayside. In a good way though. I had a couple of orders for baby blankets and a couple of other small sewing requests.

I do really enjoy choosing fabrics and making up baby blankets - especially ones in 'boy' colours. I can't work out if this is just because I have a range of 'boy' fabrics that I'm happier with, or that I'm better at selecting 'boy' combinations or just that I'm not really that keen on pink! I reckon it's probably a mix of all three. But it has made me realise that I perhaps need to have a look out for some 'girl' fabrics that I really like. What a hard life!

With that in mind I have been looking at Liberty fabrics and if I can settle on 2 or 3 I'm hoping that I can perhaps find them on ebay or somewhere else at slightly lower costs. I need to keep my eyes peeled for a few non-liberty too.

I'm getting to a stage where I really need to think about what I'm doing. At the moment I make the odd thing for friends, lots of birthday presents etc and, as of the last few weeks, I have trickle of folksy orders too.

I have been annoyed at myself for not building a website yet and not actually promoting myself at all (I have a real dread of joining twitter and facebook....which may be something I need to overcome in the future). I'm very aware the my folksy shop is woefully inadequate and out of date and that I don't join in any of their resources and forums etc.

At the moment I don't actually have the time for more work so I'm a bit catch-22. If I make more of an effort with folksy, set-up a website etc then I may well get far more work than I can cope with. Maybe from August when Islay goes to school (although I will still be childminding my niece and nephew two days/week)?

However, if I organised myself differently I might be able to cope with a bit more work just now. I make up baby blankets to order so that the recipient can have a say in the fabrics and often they are personalised with a baby's name too - and each is genuinely unique. But if I made them in advance it would be far more efficient and I'd be able to buy larger amounts of each fabric type too (at the moment I really only buy fat quarters of most....and then panic beacuse I run low quickly, and some of my favourites become unavailable too).

The plans which I keep having to delay are for a new set of kitchen textiles and I could certainly go for a bit more of a production line with them......if I'm brave enough to be sure they'll sell!

Oh, it's a hard life isn't it?! Lots of, very good, stuff to think about and work out.

Very very annoyed

2011-01-31T07:51:00.010Z

As I said last time February is my month for the Fresh and Funky Bee. I spent ages last week cutting up my precious fabric and then sent it off to the lovely people who will be making blocks for me. But there's a problem....I seem to have bought a dodgy batch of envelopes and, so far, two out of three have reached their destination without any fabric in them. Kind of defeats the purpose of an envelope really! So far I only know about three UK ones but I can't believe the USA and NZ ones are going to have a higher success rate.

It looks like I'll have to send out lots more packages of fabric - and I've just ordered some more Kona white accordingly (I think I'll have enough of the rest for sending out but probably not now to complete the quilt). Fingers crossed it's just been these first few that have been dodgy. If not I'll try and take it up with Tesco - it's horrible to think of that lovely fabric floating around in the postal system somewhere. I thought twice about mentioning that the envelopes came from Tesco - maybe the BBC has had an influence on me, however they do seem to be truly dreadful envelopes, they weren't cheap ones and quite frankly one grumble from me complaining about their shoddy goods won't make so much as a minute dent in their profits......especially since I have to do most of my food shopping there as it's the only shop within easy reach of here.

Hexie tree sample block

So onto a happier note. I had a lovely time preparing a couple of example blocks for the bee. Just to give some ideas for the sort of thing I am after (along with the inspiration gallery). Both need some more work. The hexies (my first ever and quite fiddly at 1/2") need to be sewn onto the block but I'm not sure whether to set them centrally or offset and add something else - a sun perhaps? The branch and leaves block needs some definition with machine and hand embroidery - and definitely the purple pears which don't really stand out at the moment.

Branch and leaves sample block

I made both blocks at 8" square but I found that size a bit restrictive, and doesn't really do the fabric justice, so I've said anything up to 16" square would be good.

Log cabin blocks for Mandy

I also made my first ever log cabin blocks for Mandy (January Fresh and Funky Bee). I really enjoyed making these up and have my fingers crossed that will be one of the successful packages as I sent them back along with my fabric for February.

Excluder without stuffed inner

And finally I had a lot of fun making a draught excluder for a local friend. I do like being asked to make things and hopefully she'll like it. Her kitchen is yellow with a touch of blue and brown but she didn't want much yellow in the excluder. I've made an outer with envelope closing for easy washing but the inner is stuffed with polyester and can be washed too. With two kids and a young dog that is pretty essential! I did enjoy picking and mixing the fabrics and colours. But draught excluders have one serious downside - being long and narrow (this one is over 1m by 15cm) I couldn't really work out how to photograph it successfully. Oh well.

Here's to a good week for everyone. And, for me, less stressing about little envelopes of fabric. I'm going to try to focus and finish a few of my new projects.

Subconcious avoidance?

2011-01-24T14:53:00.010Z

I'm just wondering whether I have some kind of subconscious avoidance going on? It may explain why I'm struggling to write any posts at the moment.......I said I'd run a giveaway for my 100th post and obviously the more often I post the quicker that comes around - and I actually have to achieve something sewing-wise first in order to have 'something' to give-away.

I'm also clearly struggling with my mental capacity this afternoon having just published this post twice with only the title in place. Why? No idea.

So, what have I been doing? Actually a fair bit of tidying and sorting around the house. But not a lot of concrete in-your-face she's-been-busy type of stuff.

I've made a draft version of a skirt and the proper version is cut and waiting further action - after amending the pattern to add several inches to the length (to take it from above the knee to just below - my knees seem to be suffering from some kind of weird ageing and did not look pretty when I tried on the draft). I'll explain all when it's finished and ready to reveal.

I'm part way through designing a market/grocery/tote bag but keep changing my mind what size I want it. Again, I'll reveal more when it's a bit more presentable. My, what an exciting post this is - all words and no action.

I have bought some beautiful fabric for MY month of the Fresh and Funky Bee......which, oh help, is February. So I need to get cutting, parcelling up and sending off. Plus I must sort out some guidance/instructions for my fellow bee members so that they know what I am hoping for. I've picked some bright jewel colours in, what I think, is a lovely mix of fabrics. The blocks that come back from the other 14 bee members will be made up into a quilt for our bed - and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with.

I'm going to give a fairly free reign within the general theme of 'trees and leaves' so each person can choose how she makes the blocks - applique, traditional piecing or whatever (giving the opportunity to go with individual preferences and skills - but the fabrics and theme will be consistent). I've put together a gallery for inspiration. The background for the blocks will be white, to balance all the vibrant colour, and the blocks will be sashed in white when I make them up into the quilt top.

I forgot to say that the fabric came from Fabricworm. I started by looking for some of the Laurie Wisbrun Tufted Tweets in specific colourways and patterns and they had the best selection of what I was looking for. My plan was then to pick a variety of other fabrics to work round the Tufted Tweets and I ended up with their Prism Fat Quarter Bundle. It gave me exactly what I was looking for. I have always steered clear of buying bundles as I love picking and mixing my own selections but this was so close to what I was planning to put together that I decided to take the easy option. And it really is perfect. In adddition to the Tufted Tweets and bundle I added Echino winter dots green . The colour fits well and I liked the linen mix for a bit of added texture and variety. I bought my Kona white from Simply Solids.

I don't think I have ever bought so much fabric at once. It felt very extravagant but it is for a quilt made by lovely people from all around the world and it will hopefully be on our bed for many years to come. So I think, this once, it's okay to spend a little more to help ensure we end up with something really special.

Right, I'd better stop all this waffle. My head really doesn't seem to be together today. I will try and return soon with something a bit more exciting and coherent.

Subconsious avoidance?

2011-01-24T14:53:00.001Z

Sewing catch-up

2011-01-12T18:16:00.005Z

I thought I'd do a quick catch up on my main Christmas sewing - somewhat late now, of course. And I need to firstly make excuses for the truly appalling quality of the vast majority of these photos - mostly taken late at night (I really need to remember to take photos before the very last minute).

You may remember my plea for help a while back. The overwhelming majority of you suggested (and thanks so much to all those who took the time to help me out of my indecisiveness) using the curtain fabric on the back of my nephew's cot quilt. So.....not one to ignore the advice of lots of tasteful and talented people (or not very often anyway) I did just that and the end result, I think, worked really well. Since he's only 6 months old my nephew was somewhat disappointingly unenthusiastic but his parents were rather more co-operative.

And then there was the bird mobile for my niece in colours to match her bedroom curtains. Making the birds was the easy bit. And I kind of guessed that so they lay around perch-less for a good number of weeks. I selected a nice springy twig. And that lay around for a good while too. And then 3 days before Christmas I thought I'd really better take action. Each bird was sewn on (in two places with dark thread to look like little feet clutching the branch) and, feeling quite pleased, I went to collect the boys from school.

There was a rather upsetting sight when I came home. Several of the birds had breathed their last gasp and were hanging upside down and another looked extremely drunk and disorderly. I didn't think dead and dying birdies were appropriate as a present for a young child - but I solved the problem with a small spot of glue on each one's tummy. I was careful to keep the glue to a minimum because I realised there was another potential problem - and it was something I should really have been able to foresee - twigs get very brittle when they dry out....but the birds should be easy to remove and re-attach to another twig if this one ever meets with an accident.

After Christmas I had the pleasure of making a commissioned cot quilt. The colours chosen were pinks and reds and the back was appliqued with the baby's name and date of birth. I went for my usual organic cotton flannel (it looks as if Saints and Pinners may be out of white but they have several other solid flannels) on the back and stuck to simple 5 1/2" squares on front - the fabrics were all pretty busy (and chosen to be suitable for the little girl while she is a baby but also, hopefully, still appropriate as she gets bigger) and with no plains/solids in the mix, I decided it needed to be kept quite simple, plus I actually generally prefer simple to ornate quilt designs (not that I don't very much admire the skill and talent that goes into them).

Now I just need to get going with some new stuff....but you will be pleased to hear that our shower is sparkling in every nook and cranny (and I feel ridiculously pleased about it - and for once am not ashamed to walk into the bathroon)! Here's to some small pleasures for you too!

Slowing down and speeding up

2011-01-11T10:41:00.005Z

New Year walk at Seacliff

Oops, I'd fully intended to be here any day from New Year onwards. But that didn't happen - obviously! No excuses really except that we have had a lovely holiday and I've thoroughly enjoyed catching up with family and friends and spending time with the children.

Life really seems to slow down, in some ways, over the holidays - no before and after school rush but then there's all the masses of food to cook, children to entertain and so, in other ways, things seem to speed up.

And today it's reversed - the boys are back at school. Actually, maybe because I was anticipating the morning rush, we were surprisingly organised this morning (no last minute hunt for gloves or scrabbling for poo bags (for the dogs - before your imagination gets too busy!))...and we got to school 10 minutes early. No bad thing for the boys to have a chance to run around a bit before going into class.

I think that'll be the best part, for them, about term starting again. The boys, and Islay too but not to quite such an extent, are VERY active little people and really need the opportunity to run themselves ragged every day. We always fit in a good walk each day but it doesn't necessarily match up to a good game of chase in the playground. Plus they have judo after school today which they love. It's the best activity for letting off loads of pent up energy and aggression. Angus, in particular, needs an outlet for his hot-head. Colin, their coach, works them really hard and takes no nonsense. Islay plans to go when she is old enough. It'll be really interesting to see how she finds it. While she is much more physical and active than most of her friends she's still not a match for our boys (but she makes up for that in naughtiness and cheekiness....it's a very good job she's cute!).

Lunch and fun in Butterdean wood

I started this blog on New Year's day 2010 so it's been on the go for over a year. I enjoy it so much. I've never managed to keep a diary, despite many good intentions, and, while this is different, it does serve as some kind of a record of what we have been up to. And it definitely makes me strive to improve my sewing skills. I've learnt so much over the last year and that's all thanks to the lovely people who stop by and read my ramblings. So, I'd like to say a huge thank you to you all - your comments and hugely kind and encouraging words have been wonderful, especially when things haven't been going to plan.

I'm planning a giveaway for my 100th post - should be sometime over the next few weeks. I've got some plans I want to work up and have ready for then.

All the best for a wonderful 2011.

Lovely things

2010-12-20T08:05:00.008Z

A birthday walk in fresh snow

Hi there. Life seems to be taking over a bit at the moment. Which is, I guess, the way things tend to be in the run up to Christmas. Especially when your youngest has a birthday too. Islay was 4 yesterday. She had a lovely time but what she enjoyed most of all, I think, was having four friends here for a party last Thursday. In fact she was almost too excited to enjoy herself.

I have had a couple of amazing parcels in the post in the last week. The first was from Marg - she is an absolute gem of a person and so unbelievably kind. She sent us an advent quilt. Here it is, isn't it fantastic and aren't we lucky? I am sure hanging it up each December will become one of our special family traditions.

John recently announced I should have a present. Isn't he a special husband? And, of course, I couldn't refuse....that might have upset him! So, after a bit of thought, especially towards the Orla Kiely bags I have been coveting, I decided to ask Emma (Silverpebble) to make me a necklace. I wanted something to symbolise my lovely children. We exchanged a few emails and ideas and in the end she came up with a charm necklace. There's a book for Finn, a rocket for Angus and a poppy for Islay. I have only really taken it off for sleeping and showering since it arrived last week - I am sure you can see why. It will be something I will always treasure. I'd recommend reading Emma's blog post as she explains a bit more about it and has much better photos too.

I have made good progress with my sewing. Twelve little birds for hanging on Christmas trees to give to teachers, admin ladies at John's work etc.

Two little foxes (pattern bought from Bird and Little Bird - it is very easy to follow and I would thoroughly recommend it - I did have some tense moments when sewing in the ears tho'). One for my niece and one for Islay. I made each a little tunic dresses with elastic gathered necklines.

And I made the time this weekend to complete my two Christmas runners. Marg, Maria, Jo and Lynz made these blocks for my month of our Quick Christmas Bee. I'm sure the runners will be something else that I look forward to getting out of the loft each Christmas. Thanks girls, I love my blocks!

So, a few more bits of sewing to do and some baking for a few more small presents. And then I can start to relax a bit more. Oh, that's after I have written my cards tonight, oops!

Splash of Colour - December

2010-12-08T08:08:00.005Z

I'm going to cheat a little since there's no colour outside apart from white. I took a few photos around 10 days ago when the snow first started falling and they seem to fit the Splash of Colour theme perfectly (but it was still November, just)....thought I'd better be honest.

Of course, I could have just stuck with indoor pictures but I'm such an outdoor person that wouldn't feel right and also my indoor ones aren't very good as the light is almost non-existent. Oh well.

I hope you enjoy them. It has certainly made me look around more carefully and spot how many bright and cheery things are lying around the house - several are sewing projects waiting to be finished! I am managing to make some progress with my sewing list but I'm not nearly as far ahead as I'd like to be. I'm sure I'll get there in the end though.

Hope you are managing to find some colour around you too. I'd also recommend you have a look at flickr to see some of the wonderfully creative, and very colourful photos, that are being posted. And Emma, at silverpebble, is keeping a master list of who is joining in.

Oh crumbs, it's snowing even more

2010-12-06T13:16:00.007Z

We have just had the most wonderful weekend. No fresh snow and a lovely dry cold that was perfect for being out and about. We sledged both days and we all had a ball. The views were stunning.

On Saturday my brothers joined us (plus family) and then came home to ours for lots of hot soup and apple pie. It was so good to see them all and to catch up.

My brothers, being them, decided they needed to have a race. And this kind of thing, in my family, is taken very seriously - swapping sledges around to ensure they both had the same, picking a route to ensure they both had an equal run, drawing up the starting point and then the countdown.....which they false started because, apparently, my camera click sounded like a starting gun! And after all that drama and excitement it was a dead heat. I know that people are sometimes a bit surprised if they see my competitive side come out. But, really, to survive growing up with those two I haven't had much choice!**

I'm slightly on edge just now because it is snowing heavily and has been all day......I'm somewhat surprised, and quite relieved, that I haven't had a phone call from school. Fingers crossed we'll get to 3 o'clock. The week off school was lovely in many ways but I think the boys were ready to go back and have a bit of additional stimulation and fun with their friends.

I'll be back later in the week with some Splash of Colour December photos. I have a feeling they'll mostly be indoor since the only colour outside is white!

** Competitiveness also runs in the blood. My Grannie who always used to drum into us that it's the taking part that counts wasn't actually able to follow her own good advice. We once caught her, aged about 80 probably, when we were all playing croquet, subtly moving her ball into a better position with her foot. What can you do when your genes are stacked against you like that?!

We have snow

2010-12-01T13:40:00.007Z

We have snow and there's quite a lot of it too! It arrived overnight Saturday (Sunday morning's photos above) and has fallen ever since.

I love snow, the kids love snow, the dogs (we have mum and dad's just now) love snow, John loves snow.....but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, and we might have reached that point.

The boys haven't had school so far this week (and since it's still snowing today I'm not sure tomorrow or Friday will be any different). It is lovely to spend time with them and, mostly, we are having a lovely time. BUT I have masses of sewing to do. Some orders to fulfill plus my own Christmas presents to make. And I'm not really getting a chance to work at any of it.

So, I'm trying not to get wound up about it. I can always work some really late nights if things don't settle down soon. And, after all, snow is sooooooo fun! We have sledged and made a snowman and generally messed around.

Thanks very much for your comments on my last post where I put out a plea for advice. They were a great help, or will be when I can get working at the quilt properly!.

I'm guessing there are quite a few posts along the same theme across blogland and I'm hoping to have a few minutes just now to catch up with everyone else. Hope you are having fun and winter isn't making things too complicated.

A pair of goosander - there's often a few along the river, they usually turn up late autumn and spend the winter here. They are known as 'sawbill' as their beaks are long and thin and serrated - all the better for catching fishies!

Help, advice please

2010-11-25T11:30:00.006Z

Don't worry, normal erratic blogging will resume very soon. I've just popped on quickly to ask for some advice. I love being at home but there are times when Islay and the dog and cats, and not forgetting the rabbit, really aren't quite up to speed and I need a real grown up to bounce ideas off.

So, the problem is this. My lovely sister in-law has asked me to make a cot quilt for my nephew. Brilliant, I'm so chuffed to be asked. She has also given me an off-cut of the material she had his curtains made from and would like that incorporated.

A couple of days ago I ordered some more fabrics from Saints and Pinners to balance out the fabrics I had started selecting for said quilt (and they arrived, usual S&P fabby service, in less than 24 hours - most of the fabrics shown here were already in my stash, I think pretty much all of them came from Saints and Pinners originally). Today I planned to start working on it and that's where I hit the problem.

The colours in the curtain fabric (see last photo) are quite murky so I've tried to lift them up a bit. My first thoughts were to make a simple quilt from fairly large square blocks (maybe 5x 5"). Then to cut out and applique onto it three of the animals from the curtain.

BUT I think they are far too big and will look really heavy against the quilt.

Then I wondered about using the three fabrics in the second photo to make three smaller animal shapes from - rhino (brown/green), giraffe (green spots) and zebra (stripy mushrooms). What do you think? I would be delighted if you could let me know, it would help so much. Even if you think it's a crap idea and that something completely different would be better.

And then I can go back to my sister in-law to have a chat with her.

Thankyou!

P.S. Photo quality is appalling I know, and has been for the last few posts (even worse than normal). Sorry. The light here at the moment is dreadful and I can't find anywhere that works well.

I've been spending money - and it was fun!

2010-11-24T09:55:00.010Z

Christmas is such a great excuse to have some fun and spend money on treats without feeling too guilty. I thought I'd show off some of the presents I found at the weekend plus a couple of other goodies that the postie has delivered recently.

I went the Country Living Christmas Fair on Saturday - my first visit. I have to say I was very excited. A day to myself. Allowed to buy presents. Hand crafts. And I did have fun but I was a little disappointed. Far more of the stands were mass-produced than I had anticipated but I did find some lovely hand-crafts too.

I found these carved letters for the children's stockings and they double-up as pencil holders too. Croglin Designs are based in Cumbria and specialise in woodworking. They had the most amazing Noah's Arks and lovely traditional wooden rattles.

I bought a soap making kit from Rustique Interiors who had a very pretty stand. The kit will be suitable for the children and involves melting down a glycerine soap bar, adding essential oils etc and then pouring into whatever we choose as moulds....not real soap making but fun, I hope.

Next up isn't handcrafted but I did think it was a very good idea. They are picture frames that have a wide slot for inserting your own picture and they are deep enough to take collages too. I got one for each of the children. I think they'll hang in the kitchen and the kids can take charge of their own and display their best/favourite/latest picture in it. I'm afraid I didn't take note of the shop name.

I came across, on a stand that I otherwise wouldn't really have looked at, some little packs of wool felt scraps. And picked up this little bundle of pretty coloured felt. It was bought to go with the wool tweed, which I have had for a while, and I plan to applique onto linen to make new cushions for our sofa.....sometime.

The postie delivered this wonderful parcel a week or so ago. I placed a special order with Tamsin at iwishiwasa and she did a great job. She makes wonderful masks, capes and cuffs but they are mostly aimed at boys. Islay and Angus both love dressing-up (it was a bit of a shock to Angus when he realised school wouldn't allow him to turn up dressed-up the way he often did at nursery) so I asked Tamsin if she could make a mask and cuffs in slightly more girly colours for Islay and ordered a normal set for Angus. Aren't they wonderful? My mum will be giving them these but she is overseas just now so I took charge.

And possibly my favourite purchase of all was all for me. I used some money from recent blanket sales to buy this wonderful bunny from The Linen Cat. Beth, who has just added the most amazing ballet and fairy linen mice to her shop, has such an eye for detail and my bunny is just perfect. He will accompany me (holding my phone, money and house key) on my up-coming Christmas nights out and to a wedding between Christmas and New Year. Can't wait!

I almost forgot to mention that I popped in to say hi to Jo (bearpaw) at the Fair. It's the first time I have met a bloggy friend - and I was quite shy and nervous about tracking her down. But it was lovely to meet her, she is very warm and friendly just like the on-line person. She had a great stand with her own beautifully made goodies and also lots from her shop - Jonathan Avery Homestore (things like Greengate tea towels, I don't need to say any more really).

Phew, that was mammoth. Hope you survived. Have you any goodies to share or tips for good places to buy presents?

Running around

2010-11-22T09:46:00.009Z

Hailes Castle

......like a headless chicken. It's getting to be that time of year where things start piling up more than usual. Mostly it's self inflicted as I have a stupidly ambitious list of things I want to make before you-know-what.

So, in an attempt to reduce some of the stress, I have been trying to get back into running regularly again. I think I've mentioned before that I don't really like pounding along pavements and roads, it's just not really me. I much prefer somewhere quiet and peaceful, except for my own ragged breathing of course, with some scenery to take in.

Heading up towards Traprain Law

My new favourite route starts at Hailes Castle on the banks of the River Tyne. This ruined castle has always been a favourite of mine and I have strong memories of visiting as a child. It dates from the 13th century and has two impressive vaulted pit prisons......needless to say the kids love these. It's also one of the many places to have been visited by Mary Queen of Scots. I sometimes think it would be simpler to list which Scottish Castles she didn't visit. It's had a fairly bloody and exciting history including sieges and being occupied by the English (my goodness!).

Traprain Law with the remains of several lines of ramparts running across the hillside

From this dramatic spot I head uphill along farm tracks to another impressive and equally historic site - Traprain Law. Around here a 'Law' is a hill and Traprain is one of several volcanic lumps or Laws dotted around East Lothian. It is special though. Originally used during the Bronze Age (1500 BC-ish) it became the capital of the Votadini tribe who were there when the Romans invaded Scotland in AD80. The hill was defended by a series of ramparts made of stone and turf and these are still clearly visible.

Part way down - Hailes Castle is nestled in the line of trees running across the photo

I can't yet run the whole way up the hill but I reckon as long as I keep walking as fast as possible I'm getting a good workout. And then it's downhill all the way back which works a whole different set of muscles. My last run up there was last Wednesday when the wind was so strong I had to brace myself on the top. I tried to take photos of the views, which can be stupendous, but really struggled to hold the camera still. Maybe next time I'll be able to get some decent pictures.

Almost back

I had two bee projects to tackle this month. Marg (Quick Christmas Bee) had asked for little patchwork pockets which will be sewn into an advent calendar, I think for a friend of hers. She sent some deep traditional colours.

Maria (Fresh and Funky Bee) chose bright colours for her fabrics and asked for us to make them up into whatever we wanted, with a Christmas theme, as long as the blocks had a white border and were around 8" square. I decided to go for one traditional star and a make-it-up-as-you-go-along. I came up with a little squinty forest. My ecology head won over my forestry head and the trees are nicely scattered over the hillside (perhaps a Caledonian Forest?....a couple of beautiful little video clips from the BBC here, as long as you can cope with Alan Titchmarsh!) - they won't produce very good timber but will be good wildlife habitat instead.

I hope they both like them - it does feel good to have them completed and sent off. Now, I'd better dash to update my list and try to get on with ticking some more things off it.

Moving target

2010-11-11T15:53:00.007Z

I bought some wool fabric at Borders Scrap Store a wee while ago (I'm not certain of the fibre content but fairly sure it has a reasonable amount of wool in it). It is a lovely charcoal grey colour and initially I intended making a bag with it....until I started looking for a winter dress for Islay.

I really couldn't find a winter party-type dress for a nearly-four-year-old that I liked. Lots if she was less than two years. Everything for her age group seemed to be frilly, frothy, sequiny or strappy - and often all of those combined. So, I decided to make one. And this is what I came up with......

I found a pattern I quite liked from here. But it only goes up to 18 months, I think, and feeling rather confident I thought I could size it up and adapt it at the same time. The pattern has quite a straight skirt which doesn't really work for an active person like Islay. I made the skirt more full and slightly a-line too but kept the idea of elastication around the skirt/bodice join. To add some more interest and make it a bit more girly I wanted to use some fabric from one of my baby dresses (i.e. a dress I wore as a baby!). The style was really out-dated and Islay didn't wear it but the fabric is great. There wasn't enough for the bias binding on the neckline but I had enough to make binding for the hemline and ties at the back.

John hates it but, much more importantly, Islay loves it. She has had real fun wearing it and I think it looks very sweet. I tried to take some photos in action....but she wouldn't keep still for a second, they really are action photos!

Not even when bribed with a bowl of grapes......

I made a mock-up first in some Ikea fabric. This one was really to test the bodice size and shape and I made the skirt much more full and shorter - so she wears it like a tunic-top with jeans or leggings.

I have another dress from my childhood that I'd like to make something with - I used some ages ago to make a couple of quilted pillows for Islay's bed - but I don't have any bright ideas what to do with it yet.