Scrappy {Hoop} Swap - sneak peek 2 - {Blogtoberfest #25}

 

… so this is where we left off …

… bit more of a reveal

• The bird is cut from Alexander Henry “Willow Wren” birds
• The branch is cut from Michael Miller “Bird Swing”
• The leaves are the Donkey tails from another Alexander Henry fabric

The “Are we there yet?” is from Michael Miller’s ‘Dysfunctional Family’ 
I thought it reflected our little crafting circle !

Sunday afternoon – no time for a nap!

… finished-ish front

I think my awful embroidery just doesn’t do it justice. The pieces were way too fiddly for my big sausage fingers, and the weave on the linen way too big to be able to take small enough stitches without fraying everything dreadfully. 

… but we said scrappy, right?

I’ll do a full reveal later in the week

It’s growing on me … hope my partner will feel the same way!

I’m not going to jazz up the hoop, I think au naturel goes with the linen

What do you think?  Be honest!

Scrappy {Hoop} Swap – sneak peek {Blogtoberfest #24}

I’m so excited to be taking part in my first ever hoop swap … it’s organised by the brilliant & amazingly organised Kerri @ sewdeerlyloved/lovelylittlehandmades & Heather @ alamode.  

There are so many gorgeous hoops and mosaics on the flickr group (you really should go and have a look!) … that I thought I’d better get my @ss in gear and put some time in for my partner.

… fussy cut … discard … fussy cut … discard 

-- repeat until thoroughly demotivated --

 
 

I had a really hard time keeping things simple – at one point my raw enthusiasm made me attempt several different projects at once, all on the same poor piece of fabric.

Then … I feel slightly queasy even typing this … I was forced to admit … [in this case] 

Less is More. 

There’ll be other hoops to swap.  I don’t need to put everything in now. 

So, I gulped hard and pulled out 3 or 4 fabrics I thought would work best with the base  (a fantastic heavy linen I bought over 10 years ago at Capsicum - a wonderful shop in Amsterdam).  Then I searched for some suitable selvage snips to write a message for the back of the hoop, and got to work.

It all came together quite well and then I had a bit of a bondaweb nightmare - I’d already cut the teeny tiny little fabric pieces ) but all was just about ok in the end.  It's going to start fraying just as soon as I start embroidering, but hey - it says {Scrappy} right?

There’s still some embellishment to do, but it’s pretty much there now

… stay tuned … 

Let’s have some Meme Fun {Blogtoberfest #22}

 

… sorry this is a late post, fellow Blogtoberfestians, but my internet connection is a bit like this and I just gave up last night --->

Cath @ ChunkyChooky is having some fun with this so I thought I would too  … If you want to join in, go add your link once you’ve mused …

4 things that I always carry

• Pens & notebook (I’m a stationery fiend)
• Fuschia Lipstick (I can’t concentrate without it)
• iPod (though I never remember I’ve got it until the battery’s flat!)
• Guilt from eating that bit of cake

4 things that are in my bedroom:

• Peace
• Notebook for writing down weird dreams/3 am thoughts of extreme creative genius
• A tottering tower of unread books (I love The Art of Looking Sideways, too, Cath)
• Tribble-like odd sock collection

4 things that I would like to do but haven't done yet:

• Fly a WWII Spitfire
• Cut in a straight line
• Go to Egypt on a Nile cruise and a potter round the pyramids
• Find buried treasure

4 things that you don't know about me:

• I have synaesthesia, which means that I hear colour in music, words and numbers
• I can’t ride a bicycle & I’ve never taken my driving test
• I once made coffee for Bishop Desmond Tutu (he was wearing beautiful purple socks)
• Back in the 1980s I used to dress up as Frank N Furter from the Rocky Horror Picture Show and go throw rice at the screen – sheesh that was 30 years ago!

4 things I often wonder:

• how did 20 years go like *that* when just 1 hour in a Monday morning class can seem like a decade?
• where did I put my new front teeth?
• why am I so clumsy?
• what did I come in here for?

Frosty Morning in Brighton Giveaway {Blogtoberfest #22}

3000 page views?  Well, whether you stumbled in here by total accident, or whether you are now a dedicated stalker, thank you!

My first post was only on 24th August (a month after my brother died – he was the whole reason I started sewing again) and I am amazed that ANYONE arrived here, let alone stayed long enough to leave a lovely comment.

And just look where you’ve all come from!

 

Amazing! 

So, to celebrate (and to keep our spirits up as we enter the final week of Blogtoberfest) I am going to do another little Brighton-themed Giveaway.

This one will be pretty much the same as the last one! Only the Brighton print will be different and the colourways may change.

(sorry for the lack of originality, but I loved that cushion and wanted to keep it, so I figure you might want another chance to have one like it?)


So, this time you have 3 chances to get your name in the pot: (Winner will be picked on 1st November)

1. Mention my giveaway on your blog and leave a comment here to say you have – remember, I’m a teacher, so I’ll check ;)

2. Become a new stalker (and comment to let me know)

My Creative Space #9 {Blogtoberfest #21}

This week my creative space consists of stolen minutes at the machine (or at home, for that matter) in a rush to finish a secret squirrel birthday present!

shhhhh - It’s an apron in grey white & raspberry pink to match her rather fandabeedozee kitchen.

What a Lucky Girl I am! {Blogtoberfest #20}

Thank you Annabel @ Bellgirl  for this lovely lovely on–the-go needle case and some fab fab fabric!

We had a little secret swap – my half (a hexie pincushion) is currently winging it’s way across the ocean  - (but I forgot to take a pic, Doh!)

Coming home to this after a 12 hour teaching and report-writing marathon has so cheered me up! 

I’m still ruminating over what to make for my next giveaway - in celebration of over 3000 page views!! *Phew!* but I will announce it tomorrow – it’s likely to be another Brighton-y cushion-y thing :)

And thanks again Annabel, you rock! :)

Pixels by Patrick Jean {Blogtoberfest # 19}

I’m all pixelled out (writing mid-term reports & marking – yeuch!) so no time today for anything other than a little embedded video – sorry!

You may have already seen this, it has been knocking around the interweb for a while, but I keep coming back to it when I need a bit of colour – so clever – so beautifully animated – so dark!

Back tomorrow with news of another giveaway!

mmmmmm … Velcro

 

 

Last night as I was scrabbling around in my seemingly bottomless bag, for usb memory sticks, connecting leads and pens, etc. I thought ENOUGH!  So I pulled out a few scraps and made two little pouches in super quick time about two hours, truth be told!

 

 

 

 

The larger one is for pens pencils and work memory sticks, the smaller for my ipod shuffle, headphones & bloggy/images memory stick.

 

I also found a couple of perfectly sized zips – but after the pressing and lining of the second bag – (the big boy is unlined )– could I find the zips I’d laid out?  Could I?  Nah.  Nowhere.  (Still can’t find em a day later after tidying up!)

 

 

Ripple dissolve to 45 angst ridden and frustrated minutes later – Velcro to the rescue!

 

 

If you look closely (please don’t!) you’ll see that the bigger bag has some really dodgy stitching on it, where the delightful Damiel decided to keep locking his little belt drive on me, causing havoc with the tension (solved only by threatening him with a hefty screwdriver). 

 

 

That’s why there’s the little tag sewn on the back of each bag – to enhance my Velcro moment and to put as little stress on the sewing as possible!  

 

 

Let’s not even talk about the hole I gouged with my seam ripper! I also used my ‘London Drizzle’ variegated greys quilting thread, which doesn’t add to the whole look either.

 

 

But hey! I don’t mind. 

They’re not for gifts they’re for ME!

 

 

And you know what?  I love the Velcro.  I opened those bags about 20 times more than I needed to today.  Every time a student was a little bit slow or too Monday sleepy, instead of barking at them I just ripped at the Velcro.  Bliss!  Monday was fun!

If the spirit moves you … {Blogtoberfest giveaway}

You should hop on over to Larissa’s at Create for Life if you’d like a chance to win one of these beautiful spirit dolls …

Now, if you’d just look a little closer …  this really made me roar –

The pink one reminds me so much of how I felt
on my 40th, a few (too many) years back !

I hope I win her :P !

Fantasy {Sunday} Stash {Blogtoberfest #17}

I’m on a bit of a tight budget this month, what with the teef and all, but just because I can’t afford any fabric fripperies doesn’t mean I can’t have a fantasy stash, eh?  Deep into dreaming territory!  If you feel like playing along just add your post to the linky link thingy at the bottom of the page!

So, my first are these, as yet unreleased, fabulous ruby star rising fabrics by Melody Miller for Kokka

 How scrummy is this?  Swoon!

Rainy Saturday in Brighton Giveaway – And the Winner is … {Blogtoberfest #16}

Apologies for the delay in posting this – just as I was uploading my internet died for the whole day :(
Drum roll please …

Congratulations to Emma Thomsen from It’s All About The Fabric!  (It’s a great blog – you should check it out!)

So, Emma, this collection of Brighton-themed goodies will be winging their way to you once I have your address.  Yay! 

I’ve also picked two consolation prizes of Brighton Rock for Julie Bull & Larissa – so please email me your addresses :) 



First Giveaway? Tick!  I enjoyed it so much I’ll definitely be doing another before the end of Blogtoberfest …

p.s. If you have a sweet tooth you should have a look at Suck it and Sea - it's the most fabulous LOCAL shop - I'm sure they'll ship internationally if you ask nicely :)

Friday Inspiration - {Blogtoberfest # 15}

This is just so wonderful, I had to share .... enjoy :)

My Creative Space #8 {Blogtoberfest #14}

This week my creative space is a bit

secret squirrel pic from here

... because I'm all signed up for the Scrappy {Hoops} Swap* and I'm finishing off my Rainy Saturday in Brighton giveaway (you've still got until 2pm Friday - irrespective of time zones - and I'll draw the winner Saturday morning UK time)

*I will be giving you [my secret squirrel swap partner] a tantalising little peek over the weekend though ... heh heh heh ;-)

I've had such a busy week at work + all the other stuff, that I have a serious amount of catching up to do; I've probably sewn a total of 1 hr this week - marking sucks!

Hurry on over to Kirsty's for some much more public creative spaces though ...

Self Portrait Challenge {Blogtoberfest #13}

... pop round to Cathy's and see who else is taking the plunge and exposing themselves online in the name of Blogtoberfest! (or, better still, join in!)

Do not adjust your monitors … {Blogtoberfest #12)

Unfortunately today’s scintillating musings and breathtaking examples of sparkling creativity mad ramblings & displays of wonky sewing have been sabotaged by shattering gumbone ache.  See you tomorrow :)

What’s Up Doc? {Blogtoberfest #11}

OK, so it’s got nothing to do with sewing 

other than to reinforce my (uncharacteristic) crush on orange brown and green





… but this morning these lovely knobbly Chantenay carrots were pulled, fresh from the soil in my allotment  my kitchen garden a small plastic flowerpot in my tiny front garden

I’ve had very little to show this year as just as I’d started sowing seeds and tending seedlings my life kind of fell apart for a while and my little garden lost out on the nurturing it needed.

Anyway, I’m delighted with this little offering.  (Given the dental treatment they may have to be grated!)

10:10:10 A GLOBAL DAY OF DOING {Blogtoberfest #10b}

I've been waiting for today's date all year! LOL

Anyway ... if you want to see what other people are doing today:

10:10:10 A GLOBAL DAY OF DOING from 10:10 on Vimeo.

In true nerdy fashion I've scheduled this to post at 10:10 ...  

... My Sunday Stash post was also scheduled at 01:01!

 ... my teensy contribution to lowering carbon emissions for the day is to stay offline!

Happy Blogtoberfest peeps!  

• What do you do regularly to cut down on your energy consumption? 
• Do you find it hard sometimes to go offline?  
• When you are out and about do you find yourself wanting to take photos so you can blog about it later, lol!? 

Sunday Stash #7 {Blogtoberfest #10a}

I love Baker’s/Butcher’s twine – and all the lovely colours it comes in - but am appalled at how expensive it is (relatively speaking) I just refuse to pay nearly £10 for a ball of string!



So, imagine,if you will, the extreme squeakiness to be heard in my local wool shop when I found this beautiful wool! 

It’s “Click” by Sirdar 

(70% acrylic 30% wool)

The shade no. is 0110 -  which is as close to 1010 as I’m likely to find for today’s date! 

150m for just over £2 – that’s more like it!

This year’s presents will be wrapped in butcher’s white paper and Click. 


Yum.

Lovely Flannel giveaway from Celtic Fusion Fabrics {Blogtoberfest #9}

I couldn’t resist sharing this
it’s not part of the giveaway conditions
I just thought I’d share the loveliness in true spirit of Blogtoberfest :)

8 fat quarters of these lovely flannels, to be precise!  Yum !

I’m not sure if this is available outside UK, but hop on over here for a chance
you’ve got until Tuesday 12th

A bit of a plan … {Blogtoberfest #8}

Apologies - but yesterday’s lack of Blogtoberfesting was due to 3 hour dental appointment & extractions & partial denture fitting – let’s not even go there eh?

But I did use my time well – calmly (!) sewing hexies together for some new pincushion gifts … but then I thought … hang on a mo … 

… these produce a perfect double sided bigger hexie … and I am in need of a slow hand-sewn project … 

(there are more trips scheduled to the d******t) 

So, when I got home (very late at night as my dentist is up in London and my appointment wasn’t till 7pm!) I started experimenting:

I made a 6cm sided template & cut a large hexie out of batting and slipped it inside the pocket.  Ta-Da!  instant quilting !!  In the top most picture you can see the green hexie is a bit more puffy than the orange – it’s got the batting in.

 

Obviously, if I were to continue with this I would probably tack the batting in once I’d removed the piecing and before turning right side out, but I think I like the idea … you could make a pretty funky double sided quilt reasonably quickly like this.

The idea of making a quilt with a gazillion individual 1”hexies put me off big time because of the long preparation time that would mean for me, but I feel this would be quite fun – especially if you add your block colours into the centres or around the edges to break up the patterns a bit … You could also cut two large hexies from plain blocks and piece them to really make the colours pop…

What do you think guys?  Is it viable?