sunday morning in the park

How nice was this? We were the only people there, the sun had come out so I made those children get dressed and outside quickly before it disappeared again. It was cold but sunny and gorgeous. I realised it has been ages since we did this, but then it has been very very cold. I should add before you think this looks idyllic - I did have to throw a half drunk bottle of lambrini away that someone had kindly left there the previous night and I will sound very middle aged now but I was shocked to see it only costs £2.29 for a huge bottle of fizzy wine! I can see why local teenagers would buy this and I can sort of see the point of the recent debates about raising the price of alcohol. Anyway this has gone hugely awol from a blog supposed to be about making stuff, sewing etc....must go now and finish hemming my tunic - then I can post about sewing, phew, let's try and keep on track.

Traffic lights

There are currently major road alterations outside my house and yes, I mean right outside. The existign road is being widened and a new roundabout being created. This picture shows the traffic lights waiting to be set up last monday morning outside my next door neighbour's house. This picture was taken at 8.15 am and it is so dark! YUK.

Anyway it is very noisy all day every day, traffic a bit chaotic and it is frustratingly hard to access our house as we have a temporary traffic light outside our gate. All this is due to the new Tesco store opening at the end of our road. Two years ago when making one of my sporadic complaints to my local councillor (yes, I know this is a sign of incipient middle age) she kindly informed me that a new tesco store was "Progress" and large superstores are the "way forward". No, no no I cry, but as you can see our protests fell on deaf ears. Roll on our house move, whenevr that may!

Cat in Bag

It was my children's little friend's 5th birthday and it snowed last week. I didn't want to drive to the shops so I made a toy cat using the "Pointy Kitty" free pattern download from Wee Wonderfuls .

It was very quick to do, I started it on monday night and finished it friday night but I only get odd bits of time for sewing. As stated in the pattern, the legs and ears and tail are a bit fiddly at turning out. I then made a bag for the cat so she can be carried around. I made the bag at 7am on saturday in a slightly insane sleep deprived state....we were due to visit the friends at 9.30 that morning. It was still quite dark when I finished it as it was another gloomy day so most of my photos were too dark to use. I had some lovely thick denim fabric that I bought at a market a couple of years ago and used that to make a simple bag with two handles. I sewed on some yo-yos made before christmas. It was a success, the only problem came when my daughter tried to take it back from her friend when it was time to leave. She has a way to go to learn about present giving.

Felt flower brooches

This is the view just a few yards from the school gates last wednesday.

I made a couple of these brooches as little Christmas presents. I didn't find the macro button on the camera till after Christmas though so they are not the best pictures! I used the craft felt I had bought a while ago. still loving it that felt for making easy objects. I am trying to plan some more brooches, just got a bit side tracked with us all being ill with sore throats, colds etc here. =

another bag

Christmas presents

I made these "rainy day" gingham bags for two sisters who are friends of ours. The bags are fully lined with some furnishing fabric which has given the bags a bit more weight and hopefully strength. I appliqued the initials and hearts from old jeans. They are called rainy day bags

because they are going to have scissors, crayons and paper dolls in them - and maybe some drawing paper too. I have added paper houses from Anna at twelve22 and a book of vintage paper dolls from Chez Beeper Bebe

The bags tie up with grosgrain ribbon. Now I have posted one image twice and cannot remove it....oops

Fab Freegle Wicker Chest

I was lucky to be given this wicker storage chest by a kind lady on my local freegle site (what was freecycle- I don't quite understand the internal politics of the change). We have received a few things from this family and have managed to give stuff to them, which I realy like. It fitted in my car boot (hurray) and now has pride of place in T's bedroom. I filled it very quickly with his spare and summer school uniform and jumpers too big for his bedroom drawers. It was quite heavy which made me think it was well made - I like its slightly tatty look, "It's vintage chic" I reassured Mr Minnado, though he didn't mind me bringing it into our house as it was (a) Free (b) a Storage item. Our house seems to be full and there is no room for more stuff so I have to sneak some things in.... I am slightly worried about Christmas and the onslaught of presents for the kids from well meaning relatives - this morning I took two bags to the charity shop. To make it even better I found a Paul Smith dress in green velvet there for £8.00. (with tags still on!!) It was a no brainer. I bought it with a view to resale but once I got it home and tried it on, I was in love! It fits and is a Real Lady Dress. I will upload pic soon. I now need to find a party to wear it to.