Country Living Magazine

I don't often buy magazines as I get lots passed onto me by relatives, but after a quick flick through I couldn't resist the April issue of Country Living when I saw it in our local newsagents.

Lots of lovely inspiring pictures.

Plus a really nice article on the brilliant Poppy Treffry. Proof that making handmade goods can become a successful and profitable business! Err...if you are as talented as Poppy that is!

Hmm, whilst not quite so successful or profitable! I have had an order this week for some bunting for some friends, which they were really pleased with. Also earlier in the week I was chuffed to bits to have sold another baby quilt (the pink girly one I mentioned in my last post) and had it all ready to post but the paypal payment didn't happen so I have had to cancel the order and it is now back in my Folksy shop looking for a nice new home and a baby to keep warm and cosy!

A little bit of sewing

I've finally got round to a bit of sewing over the last few weeks.
Firstly a friend asked me to collaborate with her and make some of my dolls out of some of her vintage linen fabric. I've only made this one so far and the fabric was a dream to sew with, so soft.

I had the urge to buy some new fabric the other day - but not much money and as I was having a nose on etsy at the fabrics I saw quite a few people doing little bundles of offcuts. I always read Manda at Treefall Designs blog and so when I saw she was doing bundles of offcuts for under a fiver I decided to treat myself as she always uses such lovely fabrics. And this is the lovely parcel of fabrics that arrived.

They are all different sizes, generally the biggest being 18cm sq and are just perfect for little patchworks and appliques. I think they are a brilliant way to get lots of new fabric to compliment what you already have and a great way to use up your offcuts. I have already started to make a couple of patchwork cushions with them which I will show you once I have finished. I am also thinking of making some offcut bundles for the summer market I am doing in June.

I was lucky enough to be given some big fabric offcuts this week by my Mother-in-law, who had spotted them in a charity shop where she volunteers and brought them as a gift for me.  One of them was this lovely blue spotty and floral fabric, with which I made this cushion.

Still more of this left thankfully which I will use to make another cushion and some squares for baby patchworks....like this one.

This quilt is very special to me as the white embroidered square in the picture was upcycled from a tablecloth that my 90 year old Nan gave me that she had embroidered in her youth. Some of the tablecloth was a bit stained so I didn't feel to bad about chopping it up and giving it a new lease of life and I have another unstained table cloth that she embroidered that I will be treasuring just as it is.



Last of all I made this cushion from the upcycled pillowcase I found the other week. The embroidery on this is so delicate and beautiful, I love it.

The two cushions and baby quilt are now listed on my Folksy shop.

Red Nose Day 2011

We've done our little bit for Red Nose Day today.

F made this little vegetable man (Samy) for a competition at school that the kids all paid to enter.

We also made cakes for a cake sale after school...

And they paid to wear PJ's and hats to school! (although they don't look to happy about it in this photo!).
 
We've been watching the BBC Red Nose Day programme and I have been moved to donate for this amazing charity that is supporting some life saving projects and helping people whose stories have had me in tears already. Its a tough time in the world at the moment but this really is a worthy cause and if you can donate, every penny will make a real difference.

Embroidered linens

I found some lovely treasure at a charity shop in town this week that I thought I would share with you.
You know what it's like when you spot a tiny piece of something pretty and embroidered, poking out amongst a box of not so pretty fabrics. Well this is what happened, and kept happening as I kept finding these lovely embroidered linens in just one shop.

I love the blue of these napkins (I only brought 4 but there were more there!).

I am not sure exactly what I am going to do with this. It is so beautiful and delicate I think it would look lovely as a framed artwork with some free motion writing and applique in the middle.

Too pretty to use as a napkin!

These pink flowers are so pretty. Someone put so much effort into this, which is on a pillowcase. I think I will

turn this into a cushion.

A very creased tablecloth with some very Spanish embroidered images.

I hate to say it, but this one might be chopped up and turned into cushions!

And all this treasure.....£4 for the lot. Ohh I love a good bargain!