Spring has sprung!

 

I came back yesterday from my week away, and feel so much better for it, really refreshed and inspired - it was just what I needed I think! I couldn't have picked a better week off weather wise - it has been gorgeous every day, with blue skies and temperatures into the twenties. It's been more like mid summer than the end of March, though today  it's back to the cold and grey. I hope that wasn't it for the nice weather for the year!

I love spending time with my family, I don't get to see them often enough because we live so far away, so it was a lovely week. We took a few day trips out but because the weather was so nice we also were able to sit around outside quite a bit. I took all my blanket yarn so spent lots of time making squares in the sun, happy days!

Mum and dad also wanted to find a planter for their courtyard, so lots of wandering around garden centres was done looking for one. Needless to say they didn't actually find what they were looking for, but I really like pottering around looking at the plants and flowers especially as the weather was so nice...

 I thought the little coloured watering cans filled with  primroses were so sweet!

I so love spring flowers, so happy and bright and colourful after the dark grey days of winter...

We need to do our garden this year. It is basically just soil at the moment because when we moved in last year it was getting towards winter so we decided to leave it for a few months. Not really sure what to do with it though - it is quite a small space, but sure we can do something nice with it! Need to get some gardening mags/ books really for inspiration.

I managed to make another 90 squares for my crochet blanket this week in between trips out. I've changed my mind so many times on the colours - I started out with turquoise, pink and red (my fave colour combination!) but gradually decided a slightly paler, more Spring like palette was the way to go. I'm still using my Stylecraft yarn, so it was quite difficult to decide on colours which were different enough to the other two blankets I've made, but that would also compliment each other. 

This is what I have decided on at the moment...

What do you think?

It reminds me of crocuses with all the purple, yellow and green so just right for the time of year! I've now done about 140 squares in total. I'm not really sure how many squares I am aiming for, probably around 200 then it will be the dreaded joining together (really not looking forward to that bit)!

I also came back to some lovely post including Master Sorrel...

I bought him from the lovely Jooles of Sew Sweet Violet and I LOVE him!! Such pretty colours and so beautifully made, he is happily living on my new pinboard which I actually made at eight o clock this morning... (Told you I was refreshed and inspired,  I couldn't wait to start making again!)

I just covered an old board with some wadding and pretty pink floral fabric using my staple gun, then stapled on some criss-crossed ribbons and hammered in some upholstery tacks - sure they neighbours were impressed with the noise so early on a Saturday (actually their cars had gone so I'm hoping they weren't in).

Anyway have just popped some of my favourite cards and bits on it for now, though I'm sure I will fill it up soon enough! I love to make spontaneous things like this for the house, I just don't often have time. Some mini bunting is next on my list though whilst I am on a role!

I also bought this....

... after reading about it on lots of other people's blogs. Only had a quick flick through whilst I had my breakfast but it is so up my street - lots of colour, pattern and inspiring ideas, it is just gorgeous! You can buy it here and also check out Selina's fab blog.

I also got another super exciting delivery in the post too - but more about that next week - it will include another giveaway too! Anyway hope you have had a good week too, and have been able to enjoy the lovely sunshine while it lasted! Take care, will be back soon xxx

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

Blanket love...

Do you remember way back in June when I decided that I really wanted to learn to crochet? It had kind of been one of those things that I'd been meaning to get round to having a go at for so long but never actually managed to. I did try to learn once years ago at Uni but it got the better of me before I could even produce a chain! Anyway I've had a longing for a granny blanket for a good few years now - I've looked in many many charity shops and scoured ebay but never found one I really liked. So there seemed to be nothing for it... I would just have to make my own!

I had great fun choosing my yarn colours...

Here they all are... all 15 of them... though I actually swapped the pale cloud blue for white in the end. On the recommendation of several lovely bloggers, I used Stylecraft Special DK yarn, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. I had bought a couple of cheapie balls too to practise with but discarded my first few squares with them in - the yarn quality wasn't nearly as nice and my OCD-ness wouldn't allow me to leave them in under any circumstances!

Anyway before I ramble on any further... would you like to see my finished masterpiece???

Ta-dah!!!! Here it is :)

Do you like it? I can't tell you how incredibly pleased I am to actually have made something out of crochet... and if I do say so myself, it is a pretty good first project! There was honestly a time I thought I would never be able to learn to crochet, especially without someone to show me how, but with perseverence and a LOT of You Tube video watching, I was away! 

I think it is such a great thing to acquire a new skill, and a new hobby all at once. Plus it's given me something to do in the evenings of these last couple of months instead of lurking on twitter and randomly looking on the laptop - I spend enough time as it is doing that! 

I've loved seeing the squares grow each day and I really am quite proud that I've managed to make something halfway decent. I love my snuggly colourful blanket!!!

In the end I made it 8 x 11 squares with 6 rounds per square, plus the stripy border. It's just the right size for me to snuggle under on the couch watching telly... and folded in half, it is a great lap blanket. Now we've actually got a kitchen table, I like to do all my laptop stuff on it, and sitting there in the morning doing emails etc with my cosy lamp on and my snuggly blanket is just lovely!

 

I couldn't tell you how long it's actually taken me to finish - I did start it back in June but then we were moving house and then I went away for a month so there was about a 2 month break in the middle. I've worked on it most evenings since I've been back though for an hour or two each night... Then last weekend, I got a stinky cold and it was all I could do to sit on the sofa all day working on my blanket (I was a little obsessed by this point being so near the end, I just wanted to finish - Think I did about 10 hours straight in the end - pretty good really considering how lousy I was feeling!) 

I really enjoyed doing the border after the boredom of the sewing together... striping up and down with no interuptions! Loved it so much in fact that I am now planning a granny stripe  blanket too (in fact I bought my yarn this morning so expect another yarn post in not too long!)

Anyway, so I hope you share my excitement and thanks for all your supportive comments on my progress over the last few months. Also thank you to these lovely ladies in particualar for their crochet blankety inspiration... Vanessa, Julia, Lucy and Jacquie - you have all inspired me no end with your lovely creations (plus your tutorials have been super helpful too!)

xxx

Addicted already!

I think I may have started another addiction... Oh dear God, what have I done??? My blanket yarn arrived yesterday and I am totally in love with it! It is only super cheap and cheerful acrylic stuff as this is my first project but I am just loving the colours all together, and best of all, I now have a 'wool basket' beside the sofa! OK this may not sound much but I've had serious blog envy of other people's colourful baskets piled high with lovely yarn recently, and now I've got my own!!!

Could not stop taking pictures of the gorgeous colours as soon as it arrived...

Don't the colours just look so scrummy together?? I was a bit nervous before they came as quite often I order fabrics and bits off the Internet only for them not to quite live up to the colours on screen. But I have to say that I am so pleasantly surprised with my purchases this time! Most of the yarn here is Stylecraft Special DK, although there are also a couple of random ones in there too that I picked up last week to practise with.

However... and here comes a really big sigh... after all my excitement, I've had lots of work I've needed to get done before the weekend, so have only had time to make one square so far! Really hoping to be able to sit down this weekend and get a few more done. Although it's still super early days and I've only just picked up the basics, I'm really enjoying learning a new craft, one which is totally different to anything I've ever done before. It's definitely a challenge, especially as it doesn't come easily to me... but I have to say that I am loving it (despite the many comments from other half that I am 'old before my time' etc!)

 

Anyway, hopefully I will be back next week with some actual crochet to show you (I hope I'm not building this up too much???)

 

Have a lovely weekend whatever you are doing! x

a bits and bobs week...

Feels like I've been away from my blog for a very long time again, must do better in future! This week has been a week of all sorts really. Have been working on some more magazine projects which obviously am not allowed to share with you yet, but I have also been doing all sorts of other bits and bobs too.

I had a massive clearout last weekend, filled 7 huge bags which went off to the charity on Tuesday. Also filled a good few rubbish bags... Oh I do like a good clear out every few months! I don't feel like I buy that much new stuff but I seem to just accumulate so much clutter so it is really liberating to give some of it away every now and again. Anyway with all the organising that came with sorting through everything, I also thought it was about time that I tackled another project that has been on my to do list since I bought them from a junk shop years ago... my old table and chairs.

 

They were bought out of necessity when we moved house one time and I've actually been using the them as my sewing desk (disguised with a nice table cloth) ever since. I've been wanting to pretty them up for so long now, but you know how it is, some things you just never get around to, but I decided the time had come for a makeover!

So I dug out my old painting clothes, sanded them lightly to give them a key, undercoated them and then gave them a top coat of cream gloss (plus extra touching up bits that I'd missed first time round.) This took 3 or 4 days in all, because both the undercoat and top coat were oil based - took absolutely forever to dry and stunk the whole house out!

But eventually they did dry and I then oilclothed the top of the table in a pale duck egg spot. I was originally going to staple the oilcloth onto the underside, but we actually used wide double sided sticky tape instead which seems to hold well and will make it much easier if I ever want a change!

So here they are... Ta-dah! What do you think?

I'm really pleased with how they turned out, so much nicer than what they were! (By the way this isn't where they usually live, in the middle of the living room but just where they were painted). I'm using them again as my sewing table for now but am hoping to get a new one soon - an extra long one - and these will be used as our kitchen table and chairs instead.

To be honest, I'm really glad I've finished them. Don't know about any of you but I always like the idea of revamping and painting up old furniture, but the reality of all that sanding, painting, waiting for it all to dry, touching it up, waiting some more... is always way more tedious than I imagine. So I may not be doing any more painting for a while, though I still have half a tin of paint left which I'm sure to want to use on something or other soon enough!

Anyway, apart from my table project, also had a little splurge on some pretty new fabrics this week (but it's alright - I'm a textile designer, so I always need new fabrics right??)

The top fabric here with the little birdies on was actually a charity shop find. It is a massive piece of really good quality cotton (it is actually a curtain, still has the heading tape on) but I was so pleased with it, and for only a pound! 

The big blue spot fabric below was also a charity find - it was a huge panelled skirt with so much fabric in you wouldn't believe, but the top had been cut off so it was only 50p! Have now cut it up into usable sections, and am very pleased with my finds!

Oh and I'm also now learning to crochet!! I've been wanting to make myself a granny blanket now for years and years but I have absolutely no clue about crochet. One friend at Uni did try and teach me but I couldn't even make a slip knot so she gave up. Since then, have been keeping my eyes open in charity shops but have never found one I like... So anyway after some encouragement from some lovely Facebook and Twitter folk, I have decided to have a proper go and make my own! 

I've bought a couple of balls of wool and a hook and last night I set about watching You Tube videos to try and learn the basic stitches. I have also bought the highly recommended 'The Happy Hooker', but haven't done much more than flick through it yet.

Anyway I gotta say crochet does not come easily to me! I was feeling so baffled with it all and it took me about an hour before I could even produce a chain! But I had the house to myself and persevered with it, and this morning, I was the proud owner of one wonky, uneven granny square!! Wonky maybe but nevertheless it is a granny square! 

I will evidently need a lot of practise but I think I've just about got the hang of it, so will be experimenting a bit more before I dare put up any pictures on here! I will also need to buy some more yarn - I have a colour scheme in mind so really looking forward to choosing my colours! Will let you know how I get on :)

Anyway this has been a very long post, so if you are still awake, thanks for getting to the end! Have a wonderful rest of your weekend, I will be back soon x

Beach Huts and Bunting

It feels like ages and ages since I made anything just for myself but I've had a real urge recently to spend a day doing just that. So much of my time I spend sewing, but often I am just making up stock of designs I already sell, or stitching personalised orders for other people... It's not that often that I have either the time or enthusiasm to actually make something for myself. 

I decided to make a picture because the walls of my studio are looking quite bare, and I wanted something cheery to brighten them up... and what is more cheery than a row of pastel coloured beach huts? And of course there's lots of bunting... which you can never ever have too much of! 

Though I probably should have been sewing the pile of lavender bags on my desk which are all cut out waiting to be stitched, I promptly set about making an absolute mess, completely surrounded with fabric and very much enjoying myself as I decided on the colours I wanted to use...

Being super organised I bought the frame before I started (bargain from Wilkinson's) which is actually most unlike me. Usually I jump right in and create something with such odd dimensions that then I can never find a frame to fit!

All the fabrics I've used are just bits and pieces from my stash, but I made sure to use lots of my favourites.

It's not quite what I had in my head when I started, but then things never quite turn out like that, and I'm quite pleased with it in the end. The pink and aqua make a nice change from navy and red when sewing my beach huts - may even try and develop it into a future design/line, but for now, it is up on my wall and feels just right for the beautiful Summer weather we've been having lately. In fact, talking of which, I'm going to try and sneak half an hours sitting in the sun now before it disappears behind the hill :) 

Thanks as always for stopping by and reading my blog, I hope you have a wonderful Eastery weekend, filled with much sunshine and chocolate! Back soon xxx

Fabric Rag Wreath!

Had a really busy but very productive weekend sorting and sewing orders and catching up on some household jobs, but I also made this lovely Christmas rag wreath on Saturday night whilst watching my weekly dose of Strictly and X-factor!



What do you think?? I was inspired a few weeks ago after reading a wonderful tutorial on Bunny Mummy's blog, so decided to give it a go, as I've always fancied making one. I'd been on a little shopping trip to Bath on Friday and had allowed myself a visit to 'Country Threads', an amazing fabric shop nestled on a quiet backstreet in Bath. I always end up buying masses of fabric and other bits there, and this time was no exception, I came back with a lovely little haul, including some nice festive red and white fabrics to add to my wreath.

The rest I made up out of scraps I already had in my vast collection, including some gingham and a plain red cotton. Once I'd cut out all my pieces with pinking shears (approx 160 rectangles 6'' by 1.5'' in varying patterns), all I had to do was simply tie each one in a knot around a wire frame, which I made from a piece of very thick jewellery wire. The whole thing only took a few hours, finished off by tying a long piece of reg grosgrain ribbon to the top for hanging, perfect!



I chose only to use a simple colour palette of red and white too, which looks festive but not too Christmas-y that it would look out of place the rest of the year! It turned out so well that I'm now tempted to make a little 'heart' version, which I think would look really sweet in dusky pinks and purples... will have to go raid my stash to see what I've got!

Anyway, hope you like my efforts, and with any luck are all having a lovely, unstressful run up to Christmas (here's hoping anyway!) xxx