Happy Spring Colours!

This week has been a funny old week, a bit disjointed really - I'm kind of glad it's nearly the weekend! I finally managed to shake off my cough and cold, felt like I had it for months, but now Karl has caught a sickness bug so fingers crossed I won't come down with that too! I shouldn't complain really, as since I've been working from home I very rarely get ill - since am usually holed up in my little studio where germs can't seem to find me! Guess it's just that time of year.

Anyway, I've been busy with lots of different projects this week, including a couple of secret commissions which will hopefully be used for a new craft book later in the year. I've also been sewing lots of hearts and 'love you' things in time for Valentines and making up a new order for one of my favourite stockists Andrea Willis Designs.

But I've also been doing quite a bit of sewing and making for me this week, in fact I'm totally on a roll! Although I don't tend to make proper lists of New Years resolutions, one thing I did want to try and achieve this year was to make more time for creative projects for myself, my family and the house. Although I am sewing and making nearly every day, most of it is destined for other people, whether it be orders or commissioned work, and finding time and motivation to actually make something for myself is more difficult than you might think, life just seems to get in the way! 

 

Anyway last week I received a lovely parcel of fabrics from the States including some of my most favourite fabrics, all pretty colours, spots and florals.... so gorgeous, I still love the Flower Sugar designs so much!  Plus I didn't get charged any import tax which I thought I was going to, which was a major plus and one of the reasons I'd put off ordering from the States for so long. Not sure whether I just got lucky though, as I'm sure from what I gathered from the HMRC website I should have been charged... Oh well not complaining!! Fabric is so much cheaper over there even with shipping costs that it really is worth it.

Mmmm aren't they just so pretty? :)

Anyway, so I decided as a spur of the moment thing that I wanted to sew a picture for the kitchen! I just woke up on Sunday morning with an idea in my head, there wasn't too much planning, and I made it up as I went along really but I love how it turned out. I used a little wadding and stapled it to one of my canvas frames and hey presto, we have a new picture! We've hung it on the duck egg blue wall and it looks so pretty! It does make the kitchen look even more girly than it did though which I feel a bit bad about but I don't think Karl really notices what I've done about the place half the time!

  

There is something so very satisfying about making something for yourself, I don't know whether that's just me? In fact I might make another similar picture for the opposite wall as there is a little stretch of bare wall which is crying out to be filled!

Whilst I was on a roll and full of enthusiasm though, I also made some 'happy' bunting for the dresser and some pretty little magnets for the fridge. Now Christmas is well and truly behind us, and the house is becoming lighter and brighter with each day, I am filled with the urge to decorate it with cheery Spring colours... am so excited that the warmer, lighter days are coming again, I can't wait for Summer, I'm fed up of being cold all the time!

I also started to make a patchwork cushion last night but I'm a bit annoyed that I've got my measurements wrong and it is going to be too small for the pad I had in mind. Might just add a little border, or make it bigger and use a bigger pad, not sure yet!

 Still loving these fabrics...

There was also a big squeal of excitement here last week when I got hold of this month's Crafts Beautiful magazine (Feb issue), and saw my little house pin cushion has made it on to the front cover! A few of my recent projects have had little spots on the cover but this is the first time anything I have designed has been made the main picture - so pleased!

Here is a little peek at the project itself...

Don't wait too long if you want to catch this issue as I think the next one will be out soon, and for more crafting ideas, go to www.crafts-beautiful.com

I actually got sent a picture yesterday from a lovely lady who had been inspired to make herself a needlecase using my tutorial - it means so much to me when I get feedback like this, to know that people like my designs and that I have been useful/inspiring, it is one of the best feelings! It is the same when people give lovely feedback about their orders - I don't think they realise how much their kind words mean, but it really is appreciated.

Anyway, this post has taken me ages to write and I'm now starving! Think I will go sit and have a little tea break whilst admiring my new picture :) Hope you have a lovely weekend, thanks as always for popping in to read my ramblings,

Jenny x

p.s I know Blogger is being really weird lately with comments - Just a tip I've found is if you refresh the page/blog post it seems to sort itself out and the comment box re-appears! Don't know if it will solve all the problems people have been having but it's worth a try! xxx